Elemental Sorcery
by xXxTDI AngelxXx
Summary: Four girls who are completely different become friends because of a deep dark secret. Now they are attending an Academy to escape from the angry mobs and death threats. Will some romance spark trouble for these young sorceresses? C/D G/T B/G N/I/O
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama Island or any of it's characters!**

**Elemental Sorcery **

**Prologue**

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*!!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!!*

How were we supposed to know what would happen? How were we supposed to know a solar eclipse would change our lives?

My name is Courtney. I can basically be described as a goody good. I get good grades, I follow the rules, and I try to stay out of trouble. I have three best friends. We each have such different personalities. Bridgette is very calm, and peaceful. She loves to serf and cares about the environment. Gwen is a Gothic mystery. She is an excellent drawer and can be a little bit of a grouch. Izzy, well, she's just plain crazy. She will blow up something randomly for fun! I know what your thinking. How can four girls, who are nothing alike, be best friends? Well we all do have one thing in common. We have powers.

Now, I'm not talking those 'wave the magic wands' or 'make three wishes' kind of powers. We each have our own element. Mine is fire. I don't know why. I think Izzy best fits into that description since she is a pyro. But Gwen seems to think it's cuz of my temper. Bridgette's is water, which is no surprise to anyone. Gwen's is wind, since she is a free spirit. And Izzy's is Earth.

We didn't come across our powers until we were twelve. We never really talked to each other before then. One day, we were riding the bus to school when all of a sudden a meteor crashed. I know real comic book cliché but I can't make this stuff up. Well all the kids ran off the bus screaming, but for some reason we didn't. We went towards the smocking rock. It was glowing a golden color. We all stood in a circle looking at the gigantic hole in the ground. Then it's glow grew brighter, blinding actually. When is subsided we each noticed that we had interesting marks on our wrists. Each of us had what looked like a different Chinese symbol.

After that, we started to hang out a little more. Then one day Izzy came to school with news. She could move the Earth. At first we didn't believe her, but then she lifted a tree right out of the ground. After that we each started to discover our powers. We would go into the deepest parts of the forest each day and practice, to make sure we wouldn't accidentally hurt anyone. But then, one day, things went very very bad.

There was supposed to be a solar eclipse. The first one I remember seeing. Most of the town got together at the top of a grassy hill to watch the event. Of course, me and my friends went. However the moment the moon went over the sun, all hell broke loose. Our powers went out of control. The Earth shook, Gwen managed to stir up a tornado, the nearby river bank flooded the whole town, and fire was coming out of my hands in all directions.

The whole town was afraid of us. They called us witches and said we were the spawns of Satin. Even our own families turned us away. Half the town wanted us to be executed. You don't know how many times we were chased, mobbed, and beaten. Bridgette even received a bullet wound to the arm one time. We decided enough was enough. We ran away and never looked back.

Before they froze the accounts, we completely emptied our bank accounts. I even stole some out of my dads and Gwen did the same. We decided to attend this academy. It has dormitories, so we would have a place to live, and the cafeteria food was free to the students. It was the best living arrangements for the moment. So tomorrow, we start our first day at 'Linkin Academy'.

It's going to be one hell of a ride...

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Like it? No? I really need to stop posting new stories. WHY CAN'T I JUST WRITE ONE!?!?!?!

Anyways, I really like this idea so please review. Flames are welcomed with a smile!!

Sarah~xTAx

PS: The title is a work in progress so if you all have any ideas on a title... PLEASE TELL ME!!! Please and Thank You :)


	2. Arrival

Disclaimer: I do not own TDI or any of the characters.

Elemental Sorcery

Chapter One

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*!!GwensxPointxOfxView!!*

Our cab dropped us off in front of the big iron gates that ran around the perimeter of Linkin Academy. Me and my three friends stood with our luggage gazing at the huge academy. Big brick buildings and hundreds of kids walking from building to building. I gulped nervously.

I'll be the first to admit, I am not the most social person in the world. I'm not very good with people. I felt Bridgette hook her arm with mine, which made me feel a little better. As long as I had my friends, things would be okay. We made a train of connected arms and made our way to the dormitories. We walked in to find a living room type area. There was a television mounted up on the wall and various couches and armchairs surrounding a wooden coffee table. There was a wooden counter with a woman sitting behind it. We walked up to the counter and Courtney stepped forward.

"Hello. We are moving in. The names are Masters, Calaway, Lockhart, and Erin." she said professionally. The lady began typing hastily on her computer. I just wanted to go to my room, and fall asleep on my bed. I haven't slept in a bed in god knows how long. Finally the woman looked up.

"Okay. Courtney Erin and Isabelle Lockhart will be in room 613. Gwenyth Masters and Bridgette Calaway will be in room 614." She handed us each a key, a map of campus, and a list of rules and guidelines to follow. We all grabbed our bags and headed up the stairs. Each level there were two doors. One on the right that said 'Girls' and another on the left that said 'Boys'. We finally reached our dorms. We all put our bags down and decided to hang in Courtney and Izzy's room.

We all fell onto the bed and sighed. "Can you actually believe we are in an academy?" Bridgette asked.

"I know. It's going to be weird not being chased by people trying to kill us." I commented.

"Am I the only one who will miss that?" Izzy asked.

"Yes!" we all chorused.

"Just wondering, jeez."

"Now we have no where to practice though." Courtney pointed out.

"And leaving the Academy is too much of a risk." Bridgette said.

"I think we are in enough control now." I said.

"Yea guys I mean, we've been training for what four years now? As long as we never use our powers what could go wrong?" Izzy said.

It was around ten o'clock now and we were whipped. Bridgette and I stood up to leave the room. We didn't even bother to start unpacking. We grabbed a pillow and blanket and before we knew it we were out cold.

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Okay I know this chapter was completely boring and uneventful. But trust me, the next one will be longer. I got a little lazy towards the end. Anyways how ya likin' the idea so far?

Sarah~xTAx


	3. Sparks

Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama Island or any of it's characters.

Elemental Sorcery

Chapter Two

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***!!Bridgette'sxPointxOfxView!!***

So, today is our first official day at Linkin Academy. We all received our schedule and went to class. I had my first period with Courtney, thank god. Unfortunately we got lost and had to stop and ask a teacher for directions. We finally made it to the Chemistry lab five minutes late. We walked in in the middle of a lecture. I immediately started to blush because all eyes were on us. We silently took our seats at a table. I buried my head in embarrassment.

I felt a tap on my right shoulder. I looked up to see a pair of deep blue eyes starring at me. I must have not noticed that someone else was at this table. He leaned over and whispered to me, "Your new here right?"

I grinned politely, "Yea, I'm Bridgette."

"Geoff." He said tilting his cowboy hat up with his thumb. "I can show you around a little if ya want." he said.

"That'd be cool." I was never that smooth in front of guys. Mostly because, before I met the girls, I was a tomboy and usually just hung out with guys. So I never was used to flirting and all. Some movement caught the corner of my eye and I say a folded up sheet of paper laying in front of Courtney. I leaned over her shoulder as she opened it.

_Hey beautiful, wanna catch a movie?_

We looked up as saw a green haired kid turned towards us. He smirked and winked at Courtney before he turned around. She quickly got out her pen and scribbled under his message, _In your dreams ogre. _She lightly tossed the note to his table.

The note was turned shortly after. _You just wait, Princess._ She growled lightly and crumbled the paper up. She caught me starring and blushed. "You read the whole thing didn't you?" she whispered.

I grinned at her, "Yup." Courtney signed and propped her head in her hand. The bell rang and we were off to the next class. Geoff offered to walk me there since we had almost the same exact schedule.

"So, where did you go to school before?" he asked casually.

But for us, questions like these were casual. Since we were tying to hide what we were, we had to lie about our past, even for simple things like that. One thing that Gwen taught me, when your in hiding, trust no one.

"Just some small school in Toronto." I lied.

"I used to live in Toronto! That's so cool." he screamed excitedly. It was now apparent that Geoff was a sort of hyper-active part animal. "So umm, Bridgette, what do you like to do?" He seemed to talk a little nervously, like he had never made conversation with a girl before.

"I love surfing. And I'm kind of a tree hugger."

"Thats awesome, you surf? Have you ever entered any contests?"

"Well, I entered the Canadian tournament and placed third."

Shock was visible on his face. "Thats so awesome!" he screamed. Unfortunately our conversation ended when we reached the gym.

***!!Izzy'sxPointxOfxView!!***

So far, I was not liking this school. It had a freakin' dress code! We couldn't wear skirts that were 'inappropriatly short'. So I just borrowed a pair of Courtney's jeans and slid my skirt overtop of it. But there was no way I was taking off my favorite top. So I just put on an army green jacket over top of it. I usually would have walked around in my birthday suit to show my protest, but Gwen reminded me we had to keep a low profile. We didn't want to attract any unwanted attention. This ticked off Courtney when Gwen told her she couldn't run for class president.

I was sitting in Bio with Gwen now, bored out of my mind. I was mindlessly drumming my pencil to my desk. I noticed this dark haired guy keep looking in our direction. No doubt he was looking at Gwen, though. He had green eyes and dark black hair. His shirt had a black hand on it, which is a little weird if you ask me. I was about to go over there and ask him what his problem was when Gwen tapped my leg.

"Behave." she whispered to me. Apparently I am very easy to read cuz Gwen, Courtney, and Bridgette always know what I'm thinking. I sighed and continued to drum my pencils. I watched the clock as the minutes ticked by ever so slowly. Only ten minutes til lunch. Come on, come on, come on! After an eternity the bell finally rang. I sprang out of my seat and skipped out of the room. Since I was the first one out, I had to wait for forever for Gwen. I saw she was talking to the dark haired stalker guy. She grinned and walked towards me.

"Who's he?" I asked as we began walking towards the cafeteria.

"Oh just some guy offering to show me around." she said casually.

"Well he totally like you."

"Iz, just cuz someone is nice to me doesn't automatically mean that he likes me."

"He was starring at you all freakin' class period!" I nearly screamed.

She blushed lightly and began to drag me fast. "Shut up and come on so we can find the others."

***!!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!!***

I walked into the lunchroom. I immediately felt like everyone was watching me. I might just be paranoid. Then again, most of them were looking in my direction. I adjusted my grey tank top over my jeans before walking over to the lunch line. I kept looking around frantically looking for my friends. I paid for my lunch and noticed a blond ponytail walking towards me. I sighed in relief.

"Hey Court, I got us a table." I followed her to the far corner of the room. The only people I recognized at the table were Izzy and Gwen who seemed to be in deep conversation with the boys across from them. I recognized that blonde guy from chemistry. And oh dear god...

"Princess!" the mohawked boy exclaimed. I grunted and took a seat next to Bridgette.

"Courtney, this is Geoff, Trent, DJ, Owen, and Duncan." She said pointing to each person at the table. Duncan kept starring at me. After a while I noticed what he was really starring at.

"Yes, I'm a girl. I have boobs, now quit starring!" I lashed out. My outburst caused the whole table to start laughing, even Duncan.

"Whatever you say, Princess." he smirked.

"Stop. Calling. Me. That." I said between gritted teeth. My hand, which was under the table, caught a small flame inside of it. Bridgette calmly placed her hand over mine and using a little water, extinguished the fire. I took a deep breathe to calm down. The bell rang, thank god. I hurried and practically ran to my next class. I felt his teal eyes digging a hole in the back of my head.

The last two classes dragged by, and when the final bell rang I was surprised to see Izzy, Gwen, and Bridgette waiting for me outside of class. "We need to have a meeting." Gwen told me.

***!!Gwen'sxPointxOfxView!!***

My friends and I went to the dorms and went into my room. Courtney sat on Bridgette's bed while the rest of us sat on mine.

"Umm, is this some sort of intervention?" she asked suspiciously.

"In a way." I replied.

"It's about what happened today at lunch." Bridgette said in a calm voice.

Courtney rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, guys. It was a simple accident. I didn't hurt anyone. It was just a little spark."

"Yea, a little spark can turn into a fire in a matter of minutes." I snapped. "Do you know how close we came to having our cover blown today?"

"But no one saw me so lets drop it." She said glaring at me now. Why was I the only sensible one? I mean, me and Bridgette are the only ones who see the danger of what could happen by one false misstep.

I bit my lip and grunted, "Fine." Courtney and Izzy walked out of the room leaving me fuming.

***!!Izzy'sxPointxOfxView!!***

Courtney and I walked back to our room. She let out a frustrated growl and laid face down on her bed. I knew the reason for the incident. It was that kid Duncan. I had no doubt that he liked her. And I have a sense that she might like him. That's probably one of the reason's her temper got out of control. Maybe she likes him but really doesn't want to. It made sense, not that she would ever admit it to herself, let alone anyone else.

"Just so you know, I'm not mad at you." I said breaking the silence. She grunted against her pillow. I shrugged at began to play my Nintendo DS. I rocked at Mario Kart, but damn, that little plumber was fast, and always passed me at the last second. After a while of yelling at the game, it got dark. I simply fell asleep in my clothes.

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It was a little longer. Doesn't that count for something? Also props to Kunnaki who realized I named the academy after Linkin Park, my favorite band ;) Anyways I am really liking the idea, and they need a little bit of a regular life before the really juicy stuff comes. I am so happy to already have so many people like this so far! Please read and review!!!

Sarah~xTAx


	4. Riots

Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama Island or any of it's characters.

Elemental Sorcery

Chapter Three

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***!!Gwen'sxPointxOfxView!!***

We've only been at this stupid school for about three weeks now, and things are going haywire. Everyone keeps having little slip ups. When we were walking, Izzy started telling this big story, and you know how she gets really excited? Well in one of her outbursts a rock went flying through a window. Then when Bridgette tried to get a drink out of the water fountain, she accidentally made the water squirt this one kid in the face. And it seems like every time Duncan talks to Courtney she has fireballs ready to throw at him.

Why am I the only one who can actually keep their powers in check? It's like they don't understand that one mess up could cost us our lives. Do they want to be chased away by angry mobs? We finally get a decent place to crash after being homeless for months, and I am not going to let them ruin it.

***!!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!!***

I walked into Biology and walked over to my lab parter, which to my dismay was Duncan. Since Bridgette and Geoff were dating, we I had seen more of Duncan than I ever wanted to. And he still hasn't quit calling me Princess! Who does he think he is!?!?

I sat next to him without making eye contact. "Morning Princess." This was his usual greeting, but I wasn't in the mood to toy with him today.

"Save it, Duncan. I'm not in the mood."

"Whats wrong with you?"

"None of your business, so just leave me alone."

"C'mon tell me." he said a softer. There was something different in his voice. It sounded like genuine concern. Psh, Duncan? Genuine? Please! I turned to face him and was shocked when I didn't see a trace of a joke in his face.

"I can't sorry." I said and turned back towards my notebook, where I began taking notes. To my surprise, he didn't push on the subject any further. I inwardly sighed. This was a side to him I had never seen before... I kinda liked it.

Duncan acted a lot more... civilized today. Sure he threw in the occasional 'princess' or 'darling', but overall he just made normal conversation with me. I didn't think it was humanly possible.

We had the last period of the day together. I sat in math class bored out of my mind. I already knew this stuff and was being forced to re-learn it. I would occasionally glance at Duncan and of course he wasn't paying attention. But he wasn't giving his usual bored, not caring stare. He actually looked deep in thought. He can think?!?! Wow. The bell rang, interrupting my thoughts. I got my things together and was one of the first ones out of the room. I turned at hearing my name being called. I saw Duncan making his way towards me. He looked nervous.

"Yes?" I asked when he approached me.

He looked around and then back at me. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I nodded and we walked out onto the courtyard. We walked for a minute in silence until there was virtually no one around us.

"Okay look. I'm being one hundred percent serious right now, no joking." he sighed. "Do you wanna... go to a movie tonight?"

I was shocked. I had never heard him talk seriously before. I guess our little delinquent has a softer side to him. "I'd love to."

Relief was evident on his face. "Great, umm, I'll see you at seven?"

"Okay." I said before turning around and walking to my dorm to tell the girls.

***!!Bridgette'sxPointxOfxView!!***

Gwen, Izzy, and I were laying in Izzy's room watching videos on Courtney's computer. We used to always look up random YouTube videos every Friday. Courtney walked in grinning. Wait...Courtney can grin!?!?! Okay I had to know what was up.

"Hey, you missed YouTube Friday, where were you?" Izzy asked.

"No where." she sounded dazed as she layed on her back starring at the ceiling, still grinning.

"Okay, okay. Why are you so happy?" I asked teasingly.

She giggled. "Oh nothing." Of course this got all of us curious. Izzy went and jumped on top of Courtney and landed right on her stomach.

"What happened? What happened?! What happened!?!? WHAT HAPPENED!!!!" Izzy shouted bouncing up and down on the girl.

"Okay, I'll tell you, just let me breathe!" She gasped. Izzy hopped off and sat in the floor next to her bed.

"Okay, spill." Gwen said joining in on our conversation. Courtney sighed. I leaned forward in anticipation.

"Alright. I have a date tonight."

Izzy and I squealed in excitement. "So Duncan finally asked you out huh?" I said.

She blushed, "Yea."

"Where?" Gwen asked a not too friendly tone in her voice. Apparently Courtney noticed her tone too because she sat up and looked at her.

"Just to a movie."

"But that's off campus. You can't go." she said sternly. Courtney's face dropped.

"What do you mean I can't go?"

"People are still looking for us, Courtney. There are probably cops out on the street and wanted posters all over the city. It's too much of a risk." she said folding her arms.

"Oh my gosh, Gwen, stop being a paranoid freak! It will be fine, just a normal date!"

"Courtney you can't go!" Gwen said storming out of the room. Courtney growled in frustration and fell back on her bed. I went over to her and hugged her.

"Sorry" I whispered as I left the room to try and calm Gwen down.

***!!Izzy'sxPointxOfxView!!***

I watched Bridgette walk out of the room and turned towards Courtney. She had her head buried in her pillow. I heard soft sobs as she cried into the pillow. I sat next to her and rubbed her back, attempting to comfort her. After a while, she shot her head up, anger written all over her face. She sat up and faced me. I was ready for the screaming festival to begin.

"Who does she think she is? I finally get a guy to ask me out and she goes and tries to play mom? She can't tell me what to do! It's not like they've hired ninja assassins to hide in ever bush and wait for us to walk by. We were living on the streets for freakin four months and they never found us. You understand don't you?" Tears were running down her face and her cheeks were deep red.

"I totally agree, Court. She has no right to tell you what to do." I bit my lip and stood up and locked the door. "Well get up. It's already six and we have a date to get ready for!" She smiled and jumped up and hugged me.

"Thanks so much Izzy! Your the best!"

"I know. Now come on!"

We looked through all our clothes and we finally found the perfect outfit. Not too casual but not desperately fancy. She was wearing jean capris with a black skirt over top. She had a black tank top on and I let her borrow my army green jacket. She had small boots on and left her hair down, which I straightened. She looked really good. As I put the finishing touches on her hair I decided to start asking questions. "So you excited?"

"Yea, but really nervous." she admitted. I could tell she was, she was stiff as a board and was taking slow breaths.

"Chillax, it's going to be perfect. You really like this guy don't you?"

"Hey, you missed a spot." she said pointing to a stray hair on her face. I rolled my eyes.

"You can't distract me that easily. Come on, you can tell me."

"Well, I think I do, but it's like I don't want to...or something. I don't know it's confusing."

"Well, maybe you will be unconfused after this date." A knock came from the door. Courtney held her breath and I smiled at her. "Come on, calm down." I whispered before walking towards the door. "Password!" I yelled.

"Umm... open sesame?" I grinned and turned to Courtney. "He's here." I opened the door and sure enough, there stood Duncan in the doorway. "Hiya!" I said cheerfully. He rolled his eyes.

"Is Courtney here?" he asked. Apparently someone didn't enjoy my company. Shocking!

"I'm right here." Courtney's voice said coming to the door. I saw that he approved of the work I put into making Courtney look awesome. After a while he finally snapped out of it.

"Umm, ready to go?"

"Yea." she said walking out the door.

I grabbed her arm right quick and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll cover for you."

"Thanks so much I owe you one!" she said as she ran to catch up with Duncan. Oh yea, I'm good.

***!!Courtney'sxPoinxOfxView!!***

We walked outside and I saw that we were walking towards a motorcycle. "A motorcycle? Seriously, Duncan?"

He chuckled, "Scared, Princess?" he asked tossing me a green helmet. I thought for a moment. When was the last time I loosened up? Oh yea, never! I smiled.

"Not at all!" I said jumping on the back. He started the engine and I wrapped my arms around his torso. Wow, he has some impressive abs. I saw him smirk in the mirror. I buried my face into his back to hide my blush.

***!!Gwen'sxPointxOfxView!!***

I looked out the window and watched as the motorcycle drove away, Courtney riding on the back. I growled and stormed around the room. "That little brat! Does she not realize that she could cost us everything!?" Bridgette was huddled in her bed. I knew she didn't like to take sides, but at least she would sit there and listen to me fume.

"If she does anything to jeopardize our identity, so help me god, I will make her life a living hell!" I yelled. I fell on my bed, knowing I would not sleep tonight.

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Okay, that was a really girly chapter lol. I was going to make this chapter way longer, but I decided to put the date in the next chapter. But don't worry, the next chapter is probably going to be the best. Lets just say, it's the scene that I based this whole story around. Okay so please review!!

Sarah~xTAx


	5. Savior or Murderer?

Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama Island or any of it's characters

Elemental Sorcery

Chapter Four: Savior or Murderer?

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***!!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!!***

We rode for about ten minutes until we got to a cheap movie theater. I was holding on to Duncan for dear life. He parked his bike and laughed when I didn't let go. "You okay there, Princess?" I quickly let go and jumped off the motorcycle.

"I'm fine." I said between my teeth. We walked to the ticket booth, and I was surprised when he picked an actually decent movie. It was called 'Public Enemies'. I did a report on that robbery at my old school, so I figured I would like the movie. We walked in and after ten minutes I was bored, and I could tell Duncan was too.

"This movie sucks." he finally said.

"Yea, I mean, that part never even happened." I said.

He looked at me with a sly grin that make me tense up. "Wanna make out?"

I punched him in the arm. "Your not getting anything out of me you pig." I spat.

He just smirked bigger. "The day isn't over yet." I grunted.

"So what do you wanna do?" he asked.

I sighed. "I don't care, but I am super bored."

"Hey, I got an idea. Lets ditch this place and go on a romantic stroll."

I laughed. "I highly doubt anything involving you will be romantic."

"Oh come on, princess. It's better than watching this garbage."

I sighed. "Fine." We got up and began walking out of the movie theater. After a while of walking in silence, we came to an old, one lane road surrounded by trees and forest. The only noises were the sound of our feet, and the tiny animals roaming around us.

"You know, they say this road it haunted."

"No it's not." I scoffed. "There's not such thing as ghosts."

"Oh yea?" He slyly put his hand on my waist and drew me closer. His hand was ice cold against me, which was weird considering that, since my element is fire, that I was never cold. My body temperature was always higher than average. The wind wasn't even blowing. It almost made me shiver. He leaned in to whisper in my ear. "They say that this chick was supposed to get married, but the night before the wedding, she decided to take a stroll in these woods. However, an insane murder, a psycho killer if you will, was on the loose. He found her and slit her throat." He brought his free hand up to his face and made the motion of someone's throat being slit.

"Please, Duncan. That's just a silly story they tell at boy scout camps." I said pushing away from him and removing his hand. Even though his hand was no longer there, it still felt very cool. Much colder than the rest of my body.

"Oh really now? How come various truck drivers have seen a lady in a white wedding gown walk out in the middle of the road at night?" he said. He then proceeded to walk out into the middle of the road.

"Duncan, get out of the road now!" I threatened.

"Oh, come on babe, relax. Hardly anyone drives on this road anymore."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in, and Duncan smirked at me. How do guys do that? That whole half smile thing. I can't, but it seems that every guy I meet can. It drives me nuts! Suddenly I heard loud music. I whipped my head around to see an old pick up truck, obviously with a drunk driver, speeding right to the spot where Duncan was standing.

"Duncan!" I yelled. But the car was moving too fast for him to do anything. So quickly, without thinking, I threw my hand out in front of me. I created a fire shield. It surrounded Duncan completely. Merely a second later, the truck drove face first into the flames, causing said vehicle to explode. I was knocked back by the explosion, but managed to keep the shield around Duncan. His eyes were wide with shock and what I guessed, terror. Who could blame him? I'm an idiot. I go on my first date and I freak him out with a fireworks show.

I sit there, laying on my knees, starring wide eyes at the scene. My hands were smoking lightly. I couldn't believe what I just did. I just broke so many laws, moral and legal, that it wasn't even funny. Duncan turned his head to me. I couldn't bare the embarrassment, so I took off running.

"Courtney, wait!" he screamed after me. But I just kept running. I didn't know where to, but I just kept going. No matter how long and hard I ran, I was never tired. I'm guessing it was due to the adrenaline rush. In about an hour and a half, I was back at the dorms. I didn't see any signs of Duncan's motorcycle, but I didn't want to take the chance of him seeing me, so I ran to my room. Izzy was on her bed hanging upside down reading a magazine. She noticed me and grinned.

"Hey, Court! How'd it go?"

I just stood there, petrified. I guess it's when it finally hit me what it was I had done. Shock filled my entire body, and I guess thats when I broke down. I began crying hysterically. Izzy, being the friend she is, came over and hugged me reassuringly and sat me down on my bed.

"Was he a jerk? Cuz if he was, I will pumble him, I give a mean atomic wedgie."

I would have normaly chuckled at this, but all jokingness had left my system. At that moment, all I could see was the negative. "No, he wasn't."

She looked at me puzzled, "Then what happened?"

I hesitated for a moment. But then I figured, if I were to tell anybody, it would be Izzy. Afterall, she's always been understanding and not judgmental. "I did something... something really bad."

"Courtney whatever it is tell me. I won't think any less of you."

This at least made me feel a little better. "Duncan saw my powers."

This statement got her interested. "Okay, tell me everything." So I started from the beginning, up until I walked in our room. She stood there silently and absorbed the information. "Honestly, I would have done the same thing."

"What?" I said, shock and confusion obvious in my voice.

"Well, if it were you, or Gwen and Bridgette for that matter, in Duncan's position, I wouldn't hesitate. You did the right thing."

Our conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. Izzy got up and cracked it slowly. I hid under the covers and pretended I was asleep. Bridgette and Gwen walked in. I felt a light weight sit on my bed and begin to rub my back. "Courtney, it's us. We know your awake." Bridgette's soft voice said.

"Yea, we heard you crying from next door, are you okay?" Gwen asked. "Was Duncan a total douche bag?"

I hesitated and slowly nodded my head. "Yes." I mumbled from under my covers.

I heard footsteps and before I knew it, I heard Izzy's voice in my ear. "We have to tell them some time."

I turned my head towards her. "You tell them." I murmured.

"Tell us what" Bridgette asked.

Izzy took a deep breath before explaining the story in detail to them. She told them everything from the motorcycle ride, the the boring movie, to the scary story, before finally ending it at when I walked into the dorm. I felt Bridgette's figure stiffen next to me. I slowly opened one eye to see a fuming Gwen and a petrified Bridgette. "I knew you going on that date was a bad idea."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't help our situation, Courtney. Not only does Duncan know, but he'll probably tell Geoff, and Trent, and DJ, and all his little guy friends. Plus when the cops see the fire, they'll know we're close." Gwen furiously paced around the room.

"You have to understand, Gwen, I couldn't just watch him die. The guy was drunk and had no intention to stop. You understand right, Bridge?"

Bridgette was still frozen in her place. Then she whispered so low, I wasn't sure she was actually speaking. "Courtney, you killed a man."

I hadn't thought about it like that. All I saw was me saving Duncan, not the other half. I lost my voice. "Bridgette, Duncan would've died." I finally chocked out. She whipped her head around me with tearful eyes.

"So you just decided that Duncan's life was worth more than the drivers? He could have been a father, a husband, a brother. It doesn't matter whether you knew him or not, it wasn't your decision to make."

My heart stung. I hadn't realized how much damage I had actually caused, not only to us and our secret, but to other people as well. And Duncan would probably never want to talk to me again. "Hey, cut her some slack, okay?" I heard Izzy say. I could tell she was irritated, because her posture became defensive and she had raised her voice. "It's not like she had a great night. She did something on the spur of the moment without thinking and you all are blaming the problems of the world on her." She turned to Bridgette. "You can't honestly tell me that if Geoff were in Duncan's position, that you would just sit there and watch him die, would you?" Bridgette hung her head.

Gwen, who had been silent for a while now, spoke, "Come on, Bridgette. Let's go to bed." The two then exited the room without saying another word. I was left there to wallow in my own self pity.

"Hey, don't let them bother you okay?" Izzy said softly. I didn't think she could talk that low. Izzy was always the fun exciting person in the group. This week, and especially today, was when I had seen her at her most serious.

"Thanks for sticking up for me." I said.

"Anytime." she smiled before laying down in her bed. I turned over and faced the wall, waiting for sleep to come to me, which I knew wouldn't happen anytime soon. So instead I laid there, dreading the morning sun rise.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Sorry for not updating in a while, and I realize my "big part" (which was Duncan finding out) wasn't very climactic. I'm a bad writer, sorry. Anywayz read and review! And I promise I wont make you all wait as long this time.

Sarah~xTAx


	6. Confessions

I am so sorry guys! I have had major writers block on this, but I think I have finally been cured! Lets hope!

Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama Island or any of it's characters.

Elemental Sorcery

Chapter Four

***!!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!!***

I woke up in the worst mood. The memory of last night haunted my dreams and I got very little sleep. I regrettably got out of bed and prepared for the day. I changed into a black t-shirt and jeans and pulled my hair back. I then brushed my teeth and headed towards my first period class, which I had with Bridgette. I had no idea if she was mad at me or not. If anything, I would say she was disappointed. I walked in and saw that she was the only one in there. She smiled at me awkwardly and then averted her gaze to something else. I walked over and took my seat right next to her at our lab table.

After several moments of awkward silence I finally spoke. "You hate me don't you?"

"Of course not, Court, I could never hate you." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince me.

I sighed and tried again to explain my side of the situation. "Look Bridgette, I'm sorry. Yes I made a mistake, we all do. I really wish you and Gwen would see that and forgive me."

Now it was her turn to sigh. "Look, I did a lot of thinking last night and I did realize that you weren't thinking and that you didn't analyze the consequences, and I forgive you for that. However, it will take a while to work on Gwen."

"I never expect Gwen to forgive me." I mumbled laying my head down on the desk. The bell rang overhead and I heard the pattering footsteps of kids running into class. I heard Bridgette catch her breath and I looked up and followed her gaze to the door, where Duncan was walking into the class. Shit! I forgot he was in this class. Okay, stay calm and act cool. I distracted myself by pretending to look through my purse. I caught a wif of his cologne as he walked by my table. Wow, he smelled good. But I couldn't think like that, cuz I am going to try to the best of my ability to never talk to him again, shouldn't be that hard.

Class went by rather fast. I was in a daze throughout the entire lecture. I felt his eyes like daggers starring a hole into the back of my skull. I scribbled down a few things on my paper, just to fool the teacher into thinking I was busy. Bridgette didn't talk much through the class except to ask me for a sheet of paper. All in all it was probably the most awkward and agonizing hour I've ever lived through. I nearly jumped out of my chair once the bell rang. I was the first one out, and I didn't even bother to wait for Bridgette as I hurried down the halls.

The rest of the day until lunch went through in a giant blur. I kept spacing out in class and was unresponsive through the entire lessons.

I was both relieved and anxious when it came time for lunch. I was relieved because maybe the energy from the food could snap me out of my head trip. However, I was more anxious because I would have to face Gwen and Duncan. It was something I just wasn't able to handle yet.

I walked in and headed straight for the lunch line. I grabbed a tuna sandwich, an apple, and a bottled water. I stood in the center of the lunch room and eyed my table. Everyone was there, but none of them seemed to notice me. I stood there internally contemplating on whether or not I should be brave and go over there, or be a coward and run away. My decision was made when Duncan looked up and our eyes met. In that moment, I knew I couldn't do it. I walked out of the cafeteria, throwing away my sandwich and apple as I did so.

***!!Gwen'sxPointxOfxView!!***

The lunch table discussion wasn't as lively as it usually was. Bridgette was sitting beside me quietly eating her salad, Izzy didn't say much, except when she added random bits of information into whatever Geoff, Owen, and Dj were discussing, and Duncan was silently carving something into the table across from me. The atmosphere was defiantly more tense than it had ever been.

I noticed Duncan look up and stare at something, and I thought I detected a hint of sadness in his eyes. I turned around and saw Courtney dumping her lunch into the trash and leave the cafeteria. Pitty and guilt hit me like a strong wave. Maybe I was too hard on her. I turned around and noticed Duncan was already gone. My gaze swept over where he sat and noticed what he had carved into the table.

A flame.

***!!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!!* **

I walked out of the cafeteria and into the center of campus. There were students walking with friends from building to building. I wanted to get away, to be alone for a while, but I knew they locked the dorms during school hours. I walked until I noticed a space between the back of the dormitories and the tall gates. I walked back there and sat against the wall, starring out into space.

I couldn't hold it in any longer. I hugged my knees close to my chest as the tears rolled down my face. I don't know why I was crying. Was it because my friends hated me? Was it because I was overrun with grief? Or was it just because I was a freak with supernatural powers? Either way I was drowning in self pity and had no where else to turn to.

The bell to switch classes rang, but I remained still. I had never skipped class before by, hey, I had never blown up a car before either right? Wow, it is so not the time for me to mock myself right now.

I heard light footsteps and felt someone sit next to me. "Go away." I mumbled, hiding my face in my knees.

"I think we both know I'm not going anywhere." A male's voice said. I peeked up and saw Duncan looking at me. I immediately kid my face again so he wouldn't see me crying.

"What do you want?" My voice was muffled.

"You know we need to talk, you can't keep avoiding me forever."

"I can try."

He sighed, "Will you please look at me?"

I slowly lifted my head to look at him. He looked nervous and a little bit anxious. I wiped my eyes and tried my best to clean up my face.

"First of all, you don't have to worry about me telling anyone. I would never do that."

All I could do was nod, I didn't really know what to say.

"I know what it's like," he continued, "to have a secret. To be different and afraid of what people may think if they ever found out."

I starred at him for a moment, confused by what he said. "What are you talking about?"

He sighed. "Well, I might as well tell you the whole story," he looked straight in my eyes, "if I know I can trust you."

My voice was barely above a whisper. "You can trust me."

He nodded then continued. "One day, I think I was in the 7th grade or something, Geoff, Trent, and me went into the woods. We used to play cops and robbers and sword fight, you know, boy stuff. Well we heard a big crash and suddenly the forest was filled with smoke. We walked towards the source of the crash and found a smoking meteor. Ever since then, we've been able to do things like you."

I sat there in bewilderment until I finally found my voice. "How can I be sure your not lying to me?"

He slip his black wristband off to reveal a Chinese looking mark on his wrist. I gasped, and held up my wrist to show him mine.

He put his wristband back on then continued, "I can create and manipulate ice."

That explained why his hand felt cold on my skin. "So Geoff and Trent, they have powers too?"

"Geoff can control lightning and Trent controls metal. I haven't told them about you."

So many things were going on in my head, but I was so relieved that Duncan didn't think I was a freak.

"Well, you've been completely honest with me, so I guess it's my turn. I'm not the only one who was there when the meteor landed."

I told him everything. Even the parts about us being homeless and hunted down. That part really startled him. "Did anything happen to you guys when the eclipse happened?"

"Yea, but nobody saw us. We just ran away here."

I sighed, "Its so hard. Trying to keep it all under control. It really takes a toll on you." I felt his fingers intertwine with mine, giving me that cold sensation again.

"It'll get better."

"I hope."

***!!Izzy'sxPointxOfxView!!***

Courtney wasn't in class, which really surprised me. Maybe she was feeling sick. The day went by boring as usual. That is until Gwen approached me and said that Courtney had called for a meeting. This can't be good. Gwen, Bridgette, and I walked into my room and sat down on the beds. Courtney stood in the center of the room, not looking depressed much to my surprise.

"Whats going on?" Gwen asked.

"Just wait. We can't start yet."

"Why can-" Gwen was interrupted when there was a knock at the door. Courtney casually walked over and opened it. Duncan walked in, dragging a very confused Geoff and Trent behind him. Geoff sat on Courtney's bed with Bridgette and Trent joined Gwen and me on my bed. Duncan walked over to stand beside Courtney.

"Okay now I'm really confused." Bridgette said.

"Girls, do you remember that meteor that gave us these powers?" Courtney said.

"Courtney, what are you-" Gwen growled before Courtney cut her off.

"There was another meteor. And it landed in the woods where three little boys were playing."

Suddenly it clicked and everyone was looking around the room at each other, out of both suspicion and surprise.

"What I'm saying is we're not alone. There are other people like us."

"I can control ice. Geoff can control lightning and Trent can control metal." Duncan announced. I looked between the three boys. I did not see this coming, and I am an excellent future teller.

"We can help each other. Train together and become better." Courtney smiled. "What do you say?"

The room was silent until Gwen finally smiled, shocker. "When do we start?"

Well it wasn't much, but it was something. I am so sorry for the lateness! If you all have any ideas that would be great. Read and Review!

Sarah~xTAx


	7. The Clearing

Okay, the reason I updated so soon was because I made a bet with my friend Ella that she would make an account if I update by Tuesday. So this is rushed and not very good but... oh well.

Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama Island or any of it's characters.

Elemental Sorcery

Chapter Seven: The Clearing

***!!Bridgette'sxPointxOfxView!!***

The past few days have been odd to say the least. Sure, it was great that there were no more secrets between Geoff and me, but it didn't make the situation any less awkward. We were sitting on my bed, just passing time. I leaned my back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around me.

"So, you were actually homeless?" He said finally breaking the awkward silence. "For how long?"

"Four months."

"How did you all... you know, survive?"

"Alot of praying. We hid in the back alleys and slept during the day and at night we would go find food and continue traveling. Most of the time Izzy would sneak in the back door at some restaurant and somehow manage to steal enough food for each of us without being seen, and when she couldn't then we went without. We had a lot of money, but we needed to save it until we got here. We traveled along way, and it was really tough, but having faith made all the difference."

"Faith in what? I mean, if I were in your position, then I wouldn't be able to find faith in anything."

"When your homeless it's easier to find something to believe in, whether it be a religion, your friends, or just that fact that you're alive."

He kissed me on the top of the head and we stayed cuddled up for a few minutes before my phone rang. I looked down at the caller I.D which read '_Incoming call from Izzy', _which was weird, because she hardly ever used her cell phone.

"Hey, Iz, what's up?"

"You have to get down to the courtyard, is Geoff with you?"

"Yea, is something wrong."

"No, but we have big news so get down here, woman!"

"Okay, okay, we're coming."

I flipped the phone shut and turned to my boyfriend. "Izzy needs us in the courtyard."

"For?"

"No idea. But knowing her it's something life threatening and dangerous."

***!!Gwen'sxPointxOfxView!!***

We were all standing in front of the iron gates, waiting on Geoff and Bridgette. None of us knew for sure what we were doing here, or why Izzy called us here. Finally Geoff and Bridgette arrived.

"It's about time you got here!" Izzy sounded excited.

"Okay, Izzy, what's all this about?" Courtney asked folding her arms.

"Well, I was wandering through the woods, and I discovered a clearing that would be perfect for training."

"Izzy, keep your voice down." I hissed.

"Sorry." she said in a hushed voice. "Anyways, it's just about a mile south from here. It's completely away from any road, so we won't be seen, it's perfect."

"What were you doing outside of the school?" I raised my eyebrow at her suspiciously.

"Thats not important. What is important is that we have a place to train in secret. Isn't that great?" Everyone looked around at each other, not really sure what to say. "Oh come on guys, it'll be great."

Courtney sighed. "Fine, Izzy, take us there."

Izzy jumped up excitingly and clapped her hands. "Yay! Okay, follow me."

***!!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!!***

We had been walking in the woods for what seemed like forever. Izzy led the front of the pack, but I was scared to death that we would get lost in this maze of trees and dirt. "You sure you know what you're doing, Iz?" I called up to her as she swung from branch to branch above.

"Of course I do, nature is our friend."

I rolled my eyes, she didn't really calm my anxiety. We walked for about another five minutes until I heard Izzy shout, "Land hoe!" as she gracefully jumped down from the trees and landed on her feet. The clearing was huge. It was a large circle and was for the most part... well, clear. There was a big tree stump, big enough to be a dinner table over on the far side. It was defiantly enough room to train and practice.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed." Duncan said as he scanned the land.

"Gracias, senior."

"And you sure no one will be able to see us here?" Trent asked.

"Gwen, why don't you fly up and look around?"

Gwen looked around nervous for a moment before she nodded and flew up above the trees.

***!!Gwen'sxPointxOfxView!!***

After a moment of hesitation I reluctantly flew up to where my body was just barely over the canopy of the trees. Izzy was right, we were pretty deserted. The only building I could see was the back of the science building, and since it was a Saturday, then nobody would be in there. All around were just trees. This was the perfect spot. Secluded and away from civilization, big, and it was convenient.

I slowly glided back down toward the ground. "Well?" Bridgette asked.

"Totally deserted. The only building I could see was the science building and as long as we practice after school or on the weekends, nobody should be able to see us. Plus the trees are so tall, that they wouldn't be able to anyways unless we went overboard."

"So I guess, this is like our own spot now right?" Bridgette asked.

"Let's take a vote." Trent suggested. "Anyone against the idea?"

Everyone's eyes drifted over to Courtney. "What? I actually think it's a good idea." She said crossing her arms.

"Fine, so I guess that's it? This is our new place." Geoff smiled.

"Now what?" Duncan asked.

"I say we see what each of you are made of." Izzy smiled evilly.

Duncan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"What do you think I mean? Show us your powers. Starting with you Mr. Big Bad and Scary."

"Fine." he said sounding exasperated. He walked onto the center of the clearing and looked around. "What am I suppose to hit?"

"Oh, I'll take care of that." Izzy flicked her wrist out toward the circle. The ground quivered a little bit before the perimeter of the clearing was surrounded by rock men.

"Nice." I said as I stuck my fist out for a knuckle touch. She returned the gesture and smiled triumphantly.

She turned back toward Duncan. "There, now go on, Popsicle man."

"Fine, but back up." We all backed up into the tree line. Duncan closed his eyes and took a deep breath and in moments the air around us became distinctively cold, even to the point where I could see my breath. He then opened his eyes and held his hand out toward a rock man, hitting it directly with a long ice shard. He then spun and shot it at another rock man. He then swung his arm around and dozens of ice shards flew out hitting the remainder of the rock people. Once all his 'opponents' were defeated, he looked at us and put on his cocky grin. "How was that?"

Everyone, including me, had their mouths hanging. Courtney was the first to recover and put on her her own smug face. "Not bad."

"Let's see you do better." He walked over to us and nudged Courtney.

"Fine, I will." she stomped over to the center of the clearing. "Izzy?"

"A heaping batch of rock monsters coming right up." She summoned the rock men again and nodded her head to Court.

She smirked and then closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. She usually needed something to make her angry before she could really unleash her full power.

"Come on, princess, we don't have all day."

Her eyes remained closed but her jaw tightened the slightest bit. I could tell that was just the thing to set her off. Suddenly she opened her eyes and jumped up high into the air. She did two back flips, causing the area around her body to become fire. She then landed on the ground in a crouch, causing the flames to disperse and perfectly hit every target. She stood and dusted herself off with a triumphant smile. She walked back over to the group and winked at Duncan. "I think I just did better."

He smirked back at her. "Yea, yea, you were okay." She glared at him then stood next to Bridgette.

"Okay, Trent, you're next." Izzy announced.

I looked over at him and he looked extremely nervous. "Don't be nervous, you'll do great." I whispered to him. He looked over at me and smiled before taking a deep breath and walking to where Duncan and Courtney had stood.

"Umm, I'll need a stick or something."

"What're you gonna do? Just hit them with it?" Izzy snickered.

"Just trust me." Trent said.

"Fine." She pointed to a tree and then drug her finger toward Trent. A small tree branch then flew toward him, but he easily caught it. "Now show us!" she demanded.

Trent held the branch in his hand before it began to turn into steel. It's design folded and it actually looked like a real sword. He smiled at his handy work and then charged toward one of the rock men. His sword easily cut through the rock as he moved down the line, showing off his impressive martial art skills that I would have never guessed he had. I admit I was impressed.

It only took about a minute for Trent to destroy those dozens of rock creatures, which was amazing for someone who relied on pure skill alone. He walked back over to us and stood next to me. "How'd I do?"

"Amazing, how'd you learn how to do that?"

He simply shrugged. "Eh, I don't know, practice I guess."

I looked up and saw Bridgette standing in the clearing now, already ready to start. She stood in one of her yoga posses, she brought her foot up to rest on the side of her other leg and put her hands together as if she were praying. The ground shook briefly as a stream of water arose and circled her still and focused form. The water then turned into a wave that swept over the rocks, turning them back into mere sediments, all the while Bridgette remained perfect still.

"Wow." Geoff mumbled.

She skipped back to the group and smiled at Geoff, who hugged her and then walked out for his turn.

He rubbed his hands together, as if he were trying to warm them. Once he had done this for a while, his hands began to smoke. He clapped them together fiercely and a large lightning bolt shot down from the sky, striking Geoff. The strike, however, showed to not affect him at all. Instead, his hands began to spark. Casually pointing to each target, he caused a bolt of electricity to shoot toward the targets. Just like the others, he destroyed all the targets easily.

Seeing everyone using their powers was inspiring. They all seemed to fully trust themselves and their abilities. I envied how easily they were able to open up and allow anybody to see them for who they truly were.

"Your turn, Gwen." Bridgette nudged me.

I gulped and slowly walked over to the circle. Everyone was looking at me, waiting to see something spectacular. What if I couldn't give them something spectacular? I closed my eyes, breathing deeply while trying my hardest to concentrate, but I found myself shaking. Why am I so nervous? I've used my ability before, hell I flew just a minute ago. Why is now so different?

I heard footsteps begin to walk towards me, but I was too ashamed to open my eyes. I knew what they were all thinking. _Lame. Loser. Coward._ I wasn't ready to face it yet. I felt someone's hand gently touch my arm.

"It's okay, don't be afraid. Just relax and forget about everything."

I opened my eyes and saw piercing green ones starring back at me. Trent stood in front of me, a calm smile placed across his face.

"What are you doing?" I whisper, genually confused.

"I'm trying to help. Now just breathe, and relax. No one's pressuring you."

I nod, closing my eyes yet again. I could still feel him standing close to me. His presence allowed me to calm down and I began to breathe in deeply. The next thing I knew, I could hear leaves rustling and my hair was flowing into my face.

"Atta, girl." Trent whispered. I heard his fleeing footsteps, but I stayed focused on controlling my wind to do what I wanted. Its like trying to catch a butterfly, sometimes you think you have it, but then it slips right through your fingers. I concentrated a little harder until I could feel myself gaining control. It was time.

I breathed in one more time, praying this would work. In one swift motion I kneeled down and swung my arms out to the side. I opened my eyes just in time to see a wave of wind sweep over the area, wiping out all rock formations.

I couldn't help but smile and giggle a little at my accomplishment. I walked back over to the group and was greeted by congratulations. I walked over to a smiling Trent. "See, I knew you could do it."

"Because of you. Thank you." I smiled up at him.

"Okay guys! It's getting late, and I'm starving, so let's vamoose." Izzy announced.

"Umm, but you didn't go." Bridgette said.

"Hello? I made the freaking targets!" She said in a '_duh, are you stupid?' _kind of tone.

The group just shrugged and followed Izzy down the path we had taken once before. I walked along wondering what kind of team we would be. We had been such a tight team of four for so long, how could we get used to three extra members.

I looked around examining each of them. Izzy was in front, leading us back toward the school. She was skipping and humming to herself, content in her own little world. Then Courtney was walking with her arms folded, clearly trying to ignore Duncan who was walking beside her. Those two would be entertaining. Then Geoff and Bridgette were in front of me, holding hands. They were in their own little conversation and Bridgette was giggling. I'd never seen her so happy, and I couldn't help but grin.

I was walking by myself for a while until Trent caught up to me. "Hey." He said warmly.

"Hi." I smiled.

"That was really impressive, how you used you power back there."

"Well, I wouldn't have been able to do anything if you hadn't shown up."

"Nah, you had it in you all along."

"Where did you learn to do all that? The fighting I mean."

He just grinned, "When you grow up living next to Mr. Juvenile Delinquent up there, you learn a few things."

We stayed in silence for a few minutes. He kept his eyes on the surrounding trees. "What's on your mind?" I finally ask.

He laughed nervously, "Just trying to figure out how to say something."

My heart immediately jumped. "Well, what do you want to say?"

He looked down at me and I felt my knees jerk slightly. "I know this may sound lame and totally clichéd, but do you think... me and you could, I don't know, go out and do something? Just the two of us? If you don't want to that's perfectly fine but I just thought...."

I covered his mouth with my hand to stop his rambling. He looked at me confused and I couldn't help but laugh. "I'd love to go."

He let out a deep sigh of relief and smiled. "Great! I'll.. umm... see you soon." We had arrived at the school and we started to go our separate ways.

"Yea, see ya." He smiled again and followed the guys to the dorms while us girls went ahead into the cafeteria.

Okay, go ahead, call me a hypocrite. I gave Courtney a hard time when I'm doing the same thing, but I can't help it. He's growing on me.

I hope you liked it Ella!!!!! I'm sorry, I've had personal issues to deal with, and this was supposed to be done like two weeks ago. It was rushed and wasn't very good. I'm trying to highlight some of the other characters and couples, so be looking for some of that.

Please review!!!!

Happy Writing!

Sarah~xTAx


	8. Trouble in Paradise

I should probably start updating some of my other stories, but I am so drawn to this one. I keep wanting to write more, and I know you guys must be extremely happy about that xP. So without further ado, here we go!

Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama Island or any of it's characters.

Elemental Sorcery

Chapter Eight: Trouble in Paradise

***!!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!!***

I walked into Chemistry class expecting an average day but was surprised when our teacher wasn't there after the tardy bell had rung. Instead, an older woman walked into the room. She was so skinny, I could see almost every bone in her body. Her gray hair was in a tight bun on top of her head and her rectangular glasses sat on her crooked nose. Jeez, and I thought _I _was uptight.

"Everyone quiet! I am your new substitute." She picked up the dry erase marker and began writing her name on the board. "Ms. Delacourt. Now, I will be in here for a few weeks, so I am going to rearrange the seating order to my liking." The class moaned. "Silence!" The class immediately stopped their complaints. Even I was scared, who did this woman think she was? "Now, I will put you in seats by alphabetical order." She slammed her meter stick on the first lab table while looking at the roster. "In the first seat will be Logan Adams and Amy Adkins. In the next seat is Geoff Bishop and Bridgette Calaway." Great. I'm going to be stuck with someone I don't even know. The teacher pointed to the seat diagonal from Bridgette's. "Courtney Erin and Jayden Fields."

A big lump caught in my throat when I heard who I was going to be sitting with. Jayden Fields? THE Jayden Fields? He was the most popular, not to mention the most gorgeous guy in school. I'm usually not the kind of girl to fall for the school hunk, but there was no denying how handsome and charming he was. I walked to my new seat striding confidently. I sat down next to him and I saw him glance at me. "I don't think we've met before." He said turning toward me.

"I'm Courtney." I smile, trying to act normal, even though my body feels anything but.

He smiled showing his pearly white teeth and extended his hand. "Jayden." I shook his hand and smiled, taking in all his features. He had dirty blond hair that hung over his dark brown eyes, compared to Duncan's wild colored hair and crystal blue eyes. Why am I thinking of him? Whatever, doesn't matter.

I felt my pocket vibrate. I quickly jerked my phone out and hid it in my lap. _1 new message from Duncan. _Speak of the devil. I turned around and saw that he was sitting directly behind me. He had been paired up with Candice Monroe, or as most people call her Candy. Ew, I can't stand her. She swings her blond curls and talks in that little baby voice. Ugh! Total slut.

I turned back around and read the message. _Getting a little desperate aren't we, Princess?_

I had to hold in the urge to growl. I moved my fingers swiftly across the keyboard to reply. _I don't know what you're talking about._

I hit send and received a new message almost instantly. _Oh come on, don't play dumb._

_What!!_

_You're over there batting your eyelashes at the biggest fag in school._

_What? You jealous?_

_Why would I be jealous, I'm sitting next to the sexiest girl in school._

I gritted my teeth, this was getting ridiculous. Candace? The sexiest girl in school? I felt the urge to throw up. And I mean, literally. My stomach was doing flips inside me. I asked to be excused to the bathroom.

Mrs. Delacourt glared at me over her glasses. "Is it an emergency?" she spat.

"Yes ma'am."

"Very well Mrs. Erin, hurry up now."

I hurried out of the class, not glancing back, and headed straight to the girls restroom down the hallway. The bathroom was completely empty, thank god. I went over to one of the sinks and leaned over it. I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked completely fine, no sign of being sick. Then why did I feel sick? I looked at the clock, there was only two minutes left in first period. Bridgette will get my books for me, so I might as well stay in here. I got out my phone and read Duncan's message again and again. Each time I did, my stomach did another tiny bit. I was frustrated. I was tired of him dictating how I feel. I wanted to be done with him. So I typed my reply with quick fingers, before I could change my mind and regret what I was about to write.

The bell rang overhead. I hit the sent button and exited the bathroom. On my phone it read.

_Message sent to Duncan:_

_Well, if that's so, then maybe she should be your 'Princess'._

***!!Izzy'sxPointxOfxView!!***

I had decided to skip 7th period today. Who needs math anyways? I'll tell you who, rich people named Rich, that's who. I was walking through the woods towards the clearing. I love nature. It makes me feel calmer, still crazy, but calm. It makes me feel at home and helps me forget that we're still in hiding. I've felt caged up lately, unable to use my powers. So today I decided to have some alone time, just me and some rocks.

I finally reached the clearing and slid my shoes off. It felt so good to walk through the moist grass, the blades in between my toes. I walked over to the huge boulder near the far end of the clearing. I concentrated on making the rock float. It was hard since the rock was so huge, but I did it. It slowly floated up and detached from the ground. I slowly turned it over so that the smooth site was facing up. There was still some moss and bugs on the bottom but eh, I didn't care. I leaped onto the boulder. It shook a little at the sudden add of weight, but I kept it balanced. It strained my brain a little to keep the rock level, but after a while, it just became natural.

I took off, using the boulder as a surfboard as I swerved through trees and all over the forest. It felt so good to just use my powers for pure enjoyment instead of just for practice or to impress someone. Trees zoomed by me in a blur and the wind was making a train of wild red hair behind me. It was like an adrenalin rush. I felt so free and alive, and I never wanted to stop.

After about an hour of boulder surfing, I found myself back at the clearing. I slowed the rock down until it came to a subtle stop. I kept the boulder hovering a few feet above the ground as I took a seat. I looked up at the sky. It was a clear day with just a few fluffy clouds here and there. I sighed, as a light breeze blew my wild red hair back. I closed my eyes and for once, just enjoyed nature.

"Izzy?"

The sudden sound of someone else's voice startled me and I lost my concentrated and came crashing to the ground. Luckily, I was thrown from the giant rock and tumbled across the grass.

"Owch!" I screamed as my roll came to a stop. I looked up to see Owen's shocked face standing over me. "Heh, Hi Owen, whats up?" I said rather cheerfully considering the situation.

"Were you just on.. a floating rock?"

"Oh that? Nah, it just looked like that because... umm... the air pressure?" I smiled at my failed attempt at lieing. Owen raised his eyebrow at me like a teacher would when catching a student doing do something wrong.

I sighed, "Well, might as well tell you, since you already saw. Sit down." I patted the grass next to me. Owen, unsure of what was going on, decided to take a seat.

I told Owen the whole story while he sat there and silently listened. After I finished my fast rambling, he just continued to look at me. I was for sure he was freaked out and would run away until..

"That. Is. AWESOME!" He screamed throwing his hands into the air.

"Really?"

"You can move the freakin' earth! What can beat that?"

I smiled and felt a large wave of relief. "You can't tell anyone! And I mean anyone!"

"Cross my heart." He made the motion across his chest.

"Good. Wanna see how it works?" I smiled evilly.

"Do I!" He laughed.

We went into the forrest for about half an hour as I threw rocks, branches, flowers, and roots with my powers, all the while Owen giggled like a little girl begging me to go again. If everyone reacted to our powers as Owen had, then maybe we wouldn't have to hide forever.

***!!Gwen'sxPointxOfxView!!***

I twirled around in front of the mirror for what felt like the millionth time. Bridgette and Courtney sat on my bed complementing me on how good I looked. I had my hair straightened, and I was surprised that it actually came down to about my shoulders. I was wearing a midnight blue tank top and a blue and green plaid skirt with black leggings. I was giddy inside, and trust me, I am never giddy! But now I was smiling like a buffoon as I was about to go on my first date.

I turned toward my friends. "I am scared." I admitted.

"Don't be, you'll be great." Bridgette reassured.

"What time do you have to meet him?" Courtney asked.

I glanced at my cell phone and felt a surge of panic. "In about five minutes. You sure I'm good?"

"Perfect!" They both said simultaneously.

I breathed out a breath that I didn't know I had been holding. "Okay, here I go." I walked toward the door. The girls wished me luck as I walked out.

I walked out onto the central square of campus. I saw Trent leaning against the iron gates. He noticed me make my way toward him and he smiled. "Wow, you look great." He said admiring my new look.

"Thanks, you look great too." He was wearing a dark green shirt with an army green jacket over it and blue jeans. His jet black hair was combed perfectly with just the right amount hanging casually over his face. "So where we heading?"

"Not quite sure. I figured we would just go out and decide all the other stuff along the way."

"Perfect." I smiled. Something not structured and spontaneous, sounds like how I used to be before the accident.

We walked out and just strolled along the sidewalk. He made sure we took back roads and paths that weren't traveled by that often. He also made sure he walked on the side closest to the road, trying to conceal me from passing cars. I felt safe here with Trent and more calm.

"Want some ice cream?" he asked as we came to a small ice cream stand. There were a few tables outside with umbrellas on top of them.

"Sure!" I said as we ordered our treats. I got a vanilla cone and he got a strawberry one. We sat at one of the tables and enjoyed our ice cream. We talked about all kinds of things, our past, our present, and our future.

"What do you plan on doing once you're out of high school?" he asked as he took another lick of his pink ice cream

"I really want to be a poet. What about you?"

"Musician, definatly."

"Oh really? What instrument do you play?"

"I've played guitar since I was about nine."

"Have you wrote any songs?"

"A few, but they aren't really that good."

"I'm sure they are amazing."

"Well, maybe you can hear some of them someday." He smiled at me and my stomach fluttered. I looked away, hoping the growing darkness would hide my blush.

"Well we better get back before they lock the gates."

"Yea." I said standing up.

We began walking back, the sun glowing a bright orange in the distance. It was times like these that I wished I had my sketch book. I felt Trent shyly slide his hand into mine. His hand fit perfectly into mine, and I gave him a light squeeze to let him know that I didn't mind his gesture. We walked along, making small talk and laughing. It was a perfect end to a perfect date.

We were about twenty minutes away from the school, and the sun was sinking behind the hills, making the sky turn a deep blue. A slight breeze was blowing now, making me shiver in my tank top. I felt Trent's hand disconnect from mine as he slid off his jacket and slid it on my shoulders. I smiled at his chivalry and quickly reconnected my hand with his. We walked for a little while until I heard the sound of an engine. I looked around but did not see anything.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yea, I just thought..." That's when I heard it.

But by then it was too late. I was already on the ground, my shoulder bleeding fiercely. I vaguely saw Trent lean over me and pull out his cell phone. The last sounds I heard before I blacked out were tires screeching against the black pavement and Trent's frantic voice on the phone."

"Help, please. My girlfriend's been shot."

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Dum dum DUM!!!!!! I can't get enough of this story! And I can't get enough of you awesome readers, you guys truly are what makes me want to write. Please read and review and check out some of my other stories!

Sarah~x Tax


	9. Realizations

**Hey guys, I'm sorry it took so long, but I have had a ton of crap going on. What with the end of the year tests, taking the ACT, and volunteering at the hospital, my summer schedule has been pretty hectic, but I have been working on this for a while, and this is a slower chapter that mainly focuses on the emotions and relationships of different characters. I hope you enjoy! :)**

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***!Bridgette'sxPointxOfxView!***

We all sat in the waiting room, the silence so deafening that I was about to go insane.

Gwen had been in surgery for about three hours now, and it was starting to ware on us physically and especially emotionally.

Izzy was on the floor rocking slightly and whispering words only she could comprehend. Courtney was in a chair hugging her knees to her chest while Duncan was on the other side of the room with his elbows on his knees and starring intently in her direction. Trent was in the corner, head in hands. He hadn't moved or said a word since we arrived. I was sitting closest to the door. My hands were in my lap, trying to control the violent shaking. Geoff had his arm around me, but I could barely feel him. My every thought was consumed with Gwen's condition. Is she okay? How did this happen? Is she going to die? When Trent had called me, I went into a state of complete panic. I had immediately gathered the girls and ran out the door, the boys following suit.

I was about to loose it when Gwen's doctor walked in. He tucked his clipboard under his arm as he carefully removed his rectangular glasses from his long nose, neatly placing them in his coat pocket. I wasn't sure whether to interpret his nonchalant behavior as a good or bad sign. "Is she okay?" I nearly screamed as I jumped out of my chair and ran over to him.

Now everyone, minus Trent who remained frozen in his position, had started to crowed around the doctor, anxiously waiting for an answer. He took a deep breath and looked me in the eyes. His grey eyes gave no sign as to what kind of response I was going to get. The feeling in the pit of my stomach told me it was bad.

"She made it through surgery. She is still unconscious, and we expect her to be out for a few more hours, until the medication wares off. We're going to keep her for a few days to run some tests, but she should be fine."

Tears immediately began to leak from my eyes, but I smiled with pure happiness. Without thinking I gave the doctor a big bear hug, screaming thanks. He cleared his throat awkwardly and I immediately let go of him. "Visiting hours are over, but you may come back tomorrow at nine."

"Thank you, doctor." Geoff said reaching out to shake the man's hand. The doctor took his hand, nodded, and exited the room.

I looked over to see that Trent had finally moved. He was now standing and making his way toward the door. The expression on his face was blank and emotionless as he pushed through us and turned down the hallway. "Didn't you hear him, Trent? She's going to be okay." I yelled starting after him. I turned the corner and saw him looking through a small glass window on the door. His face was still empty of emotion and his body was stiff. I look over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't being followed, then begin to approach him with extreme caution. He merely glanced at me out of the corner of his eye before returning to his previous position. I knew it was Gwen's room, but I wasn't necessarily sure if I wanted to see what was inside.

I reached Trent's side and watched him silently observe the room. "How are you?"

He scoffed, "I've been better."

I took in a sharp breath as I snuck a glance into Gwen's room. She was the only patient occupying the room. She lay stiffly on her back, tubes coming out of each arm, head wrapped, and her left arm in a tight sling.

"She's going to be okay, Trent."

His jaw tightened. "It's all my fault, you know."

I stared at him. "Trent, you cannot blame this on yourself. It could have happened to-"

"Anyone?" He finally met my gaze. "It could have happened to anyone? That wasn't a regular drive-by, Bridgette. They've been waiting for one of you, and I'm the reason she went out. If I never would have asked her, then she would be perfectly fine and _they_ wouldn't know where to find you."

I sighed, knowing what I wanted to say, but wasn't sure if it would make him feel better. "Trent, it wasn't _them._ We took every precaution we could to protect our identities. We even changed our names. Do you think Gwen's hair was always that color? Do you think she always dressed like that? We each changed critical parts of our appearance and personality so that _they _wouldn't find us. This doesn't change anything." I say getting a little emotional.

He looked at me for a moment before looking back at the room. After a few moments of silence he whispered. "What was it like? Before being on the run?"

"Not here." I looked around and was aware for the first time of where we were. Doctors, nurses, and patients constantly roaming the halls. Granted, none of them were paying much attention to us, but I wouldn't risk the security of my friends.

"Excuse me, but visiting hours are over. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." A passing nurse told us.

Trent took one last look in the room before walking with me down the hallway. Everyone else had already left, so Trent and I decided to take the bus. The bus was almost completely empty except for this older man in the front seat hugging a bag of groceries. Trent and I made our way to the main back of the bus. It was 11:30 and the bus was extremely dark. The school gates close at midnight, but thankfully the bus ride should only last about twenty minutes.

"How about here?" Trent whispered. "I highly doubt anyone can hear us."

I check out the bus one more time to make sure we are well out of hearing range. "Gwen wasn't always the way she is. She was the complete opposite actually. She had long, beautiful brown hair, and her skin wasn't quite so pale. She was a major tomboy. She loved going outside, running in the fields and playing sports, but once we decided to run, she changed. She cut and died her hair, started wearing darker makeup and clothes, and changed her whole personality. She became more guarded and closed off." I took out my cell phone and pulled up a picture of all four of us before the incident and showed it to Trent. The shock on his face was unmistakable. Who could blame him? We all looked different. Izzy's hair was straight and came down to her shoulders, Courtney looked about the same, but you could tell by her smile and posture that she was more carefree and relaxed. As for me, my hair wasn't in a pony tail, instread it was straight and fell about halfway down my back. We all looked so happy and peaceful. I would give anything to go back to that time.

After a moment he reached the phone back to me. "You said that you all changed your names?"

"Well, yes and no. We changed our last name, and now we go by our middle name, except for Izzy."

"What is your real names?"

"Mine is Ashlynn Bridgette Meade. Gwen's is Clarissa Gwendolyn Burke, and Courtney's is Elizabeth Courtney Lowe. Then there's Sophie Anne Willows, aka Izzy."

"Why Izzy?"

"She loved the name Isabelle, but she thought Izzy sounded cooler."

Trent sat back, taking it all in. "I know, it's a lot of information, and I'm sorry." I whisper.

"It's okay."

"Just, don't tell Geoff, okay? I don't want it to effect our relationship."

"Your secret is safe with me." He took my hand and smiled. It felt nice to get everything off my chest, to finally tell somebody about our past. I knew he wouldn't tell Geoff. Trent had so far been true to every word he said.

All I could do was hope I wasn't wrong.

***!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!***

It was 9:30 in the morning when we arrived at the hospital. I hadn't had much sleep the night before, so I was even more grumpy than usual.

The nurse led us through the hallway to Gwen's room. "She just woke up, so she might still be a little bit 'out of it' from the medication."

Gwen's room was average sized with a single bed. The curtains were a light blue color and drawn back, lighting up the room completely. Everything was neat and tidy and completely the opposite of Gwen. She gave us a weak smile when we walked in. "Hey guys." Her voice was croaky and you could tell her mouth was dry. The nurse gave her a small cup or water and some pills, then left the room.

Trent brought the vase of flowers that read 'Get Well Soon' and sat them on the little night stand. "You all didn't have to buy me anything." Gwen said, but you could tell it brightened her day. They were purple tulips, her favorite.

"I think it's the least we could have done." Trent said, sitting on a nearby armchair and taking Gwen's hand.

We all sat around for about two hours just talking like we normally would. "Hey, I'm going to go get something from the vending machine, anyone want anything?" I offer.

"Can you bring me some chettos!" Izzy asked excitingly.

"Sure. Anyone else?" Nobody else said anything, so I proceeded to walk to the small break room at the end of the hallway. It was a small room with plaid carpeting. There were two pop machines, a vending machine, a small coffee table, a couch, and no windows. I walked over to the vending machine when I heard someone come in and lock the door. I turned to see Duncan starring at me, not a trace of amusement on his face.

"And what do you think you're doing?"

Instead of answering me, he strode across the room, pushed me against the machine, and pressed his lips to mine. The whole scene was so fast and unexpected that it took me a moment to respond. I put my hands to his chest, intending on pushing him away, but somehow found myself pushing him closer. I felt him smirk against my lips as he placed his hands on my waist. I know I shouldn't be doing this, and that it is a really big mistake, but his lips are so intoxicating. He parts my mouth open with his lips and I grant him entrance. We're having a massive tongue war, and I can't tell how many minutes have passed. He then unexpectedly picks me up and places me on the couch. He then gets on top of me and we continue to make out horizontally. I know there is more than likely cameras in here, and that at any minute there will be someone in here to kick us out, but I want to take full advantage of this moment and not let go until it is absolutely necessary.

He breaks apart for a second to catch his breath. "Damn, princess." He pants as he begins to kiss my neck. A light moan escapes my lips and I can feel his smile against my skin. "You okay, darling?" He leans up and looks at me.

And I look at him. I mean, really look at him. His Mohawk, so bright it's blinding. His face so perfectly sculpted. His lips perfectly shaped to fit mine. And those hypnotic, ice blue eyes that would make any girl swoon. As I continue to take in all of his features and analyze the situation we are in right now, I realize something. Something that scares me. Something so foreign that it terrifies me to the core.

I'm falling for Duncan.

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**I am very excited about this chapter. This is, surprisingly, the first sort of scene I have ever done where someone is actually, like, hard core kissing :P Kinda sad right? Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed, and please read and review :)**

**Sarah~xTAx **


	10. Eventually

**Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated this summer. There's really no excuse for it and I'm sorry **

**:( Please don't shun me?**

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***!Izzy'sxPointxOfxView!***

It was Sunday afternoon and Gwen had finally been released from the hospital. Once we got back to the Academy, however, everyone seemed to be acting weird. Trent hardly ever left Gwen's side, and kept sending odd glances in Bridgette's direction. Gwen was a lot more calm and happy, as if the bullet had penetrated her personality organ, and Duncan and Courtney kept an odd distance away from each other. Some days, Courtney wouldn't even come around if she saw Duncan. Thankfully, Geoff looked just as confused as I was.

The odd behavior of the gang wasn't the only thing bothering me. The severity of Owen finding out about my ability had set in, and the guilt of leaving him with so many questions still haunted me. Sure, he seemed excited, but maybe the glorious facade had faded and he finally realized just how dangerous I was. And what would the rest of them say once they found out? Would Gwen's sudden optimism leave as suddenly as it had came?

When Bridgette told me that we were having a meeting tonight, my stomach gave an odd turn. If I were ever to come clean, tonight would be the night. I walked into Gwen and Bridgette's room that night to find that I was the first to show. Gwen, having to stay in bed for another week, grinned up at me from the poetry book she was reading. Guilt bubbled in my stomach as I gave a weak grin back. I walked to the foot of her bed and sat down. "How are you feeling?"

"Bored. I'd give anything just to be able to walk around for a little while."

"Well, you do get to walk to the bathroom."

"Not without Bridgette." She sighed, placing a small flower, which I recognized as one from the vase of flowers we bought for her, on her page and closed the book.

"Where's Trent?"

"He went to go get Geoff. He's acting really weird lately. I think he feels really bad about what happened." her voice fading as she talked.

"So, what's this meeting about anyways?"

"I don't know, Bridgette called it. She's seemed jumpier lately. Which I guess is my fault too."

Before I could open my mouth to reassure her the rest of the crew piled in, excluding Courtney.

"She's on her way." Bridgette said, "I asked her to do something for me first." She took a seat on her bed with Geoff. "Since Courtney's kind of already filled in, lets get started. As we've discovered from recent events, we haven't been forgotten."

"You can say that again." Gwen mumbled holding Trent's hand.

"But couldn't this just be a random attack? I've met some sickos who wouldn't hesitate pull a drive by just for fun." Duncan commented.

"Well I don't think it was a random attack, and I don't think it was someone who just happened upon you."

"So you're saying we're being followed?" I asked.

"I can't be sure, but it seems like we are more vulnerable than we thought." At this Courtney walks in the room clutching a handful of papers. She reaches them to Bridgette and walks awkwardly by Duncan to sit on the desk.

"What're those?" Geoff asks.

However, Bridgette didn't answer. Her entire attention was focused on the papers. Her face was unreadable as she hastily read. Suddenly comprehension and a little bit of fear shone upon her features. She folded the papers and placed them under her pillow.

"Okay, it seems my theory was correct. However, it's not just the townspeople who want our heads now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gwen asked.

Courtney, gazing at Bridgette's troubled stance, began to explain. "There's this-'group' called the Naturals. Their goal is to hunt down and trap people who they believe posses inhumanly powers. From what we've gathered, it seems they were formed merely a month after we were discovered. So, their only target is us, and I have a feeling they won't stop until we are in their possession."

"So, basically, there's this secret organization who's only concern is to kill you four?" Duncan said trying to dissect the information.

"Not kill, but merely use us as pawns in their sick games. Experimental mice if you will."

"They weren't trying to kill me." Gwen's voice was so far away. Her eyes were unfocused as she lazily gazed at her black comforter. "They only wanted an excuse for one of us to have to go somewhere public. Somewhere where entrance is only accessible if certain information is given." Horror shone brightly on her face. "They know where we are. They must've hacked into the hospital data base. That's the only reason why they came after me: to find out where we've been staying." She buried her face in her hands as Trent rubbed her back.

"So what're we going to do?" I ask.

Bridgette straightened, collecting herself. "We must remain alert at all times. If we take our guard down for a minute, it could be our last. It shouldn't be too hard. After all, we have seven people-"

"Make that eight." Everyone turned to Courtney. "Noah was the one who hacked into the Naturals' system. There wasn't any way I could convince him to help me unless he knew. I think his knowledge and expertise could benefit us."

"Alright, so eight-"

"Correction, nine." Everyone stared at me, with a little more surprise and fear than they had with Courtney. I sighed and explained the situation that occurred in the clearing a few days before. When I was done, I felt much better, but I could tell no one else did.

"Did it ever occur to you that he may be a spy?" Duncan blurted out.

"What do you mean?" I ask, insulted.

"Think it through, ginger. Owen finds out about your powers and he doesn't freak? Suspicious. Then later that day, Gwen gets shot by a secret agent who just so happens to be taking a stroll the same time her and Trent were on a date? That's no coincidence."

I get to my feet, outraged. "How dare you accuse him of something like that! A) He didn't even know that they were on a date. B) We had just started walking back from the clearing when Gwen and Trent left. I was only in my room for twenty minutes when Bridgette told me about Gwen. He did not have enough time to contact them, and if he did, it would have taken much longer to reach them!"

Frustrated, I stomp out of the room, slamming the door shut behind me.

***!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!***

The room is silent after Izzy's outburst. The air is still and nobody is making eye contact. It is Bridgette's soft voice that finally breaks the deafening silence. "I think we're done for today." Duncan and I are the only two to leave the room. I hurry down the hallway to try and lose him, but unfortunately his voice still reaches my ear. "What're you doing?"

Without turning around I answer, "I'm going for a walk."

I hear his footsteps quicken once I start heading down the stairs and before I know it, he's at my side. "Did I say you could come?"

"No, but we need to talk, and you can't avoid me forever."

"I can surely try."

The sun was sinking behind the horizon, and a cool breeze swept over us, making the trees sway calmly. I walked briskly across the campus while he trailed shortly behind me. When we reached the science building, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me around back. He gently pushed me against the wall. I adverted my eyes to anywhere but his as his cold breath brushed my cheek. "Now I want to know why you're avoiding me. And don't say it's because I'm a bad kisser, cuz we all know thats not true."

"Who says I'm avoiding you." My voice wavers slightly, and I'm still not looking at him.

"Me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but when a girl scurries away like a scared little kitten every time a particular person passes, then one would think she is avoiding them."

I chance a glance into his face and am immediately overwhelmed. I bite the inside of my cheek to resist the temptation to just reach out and kiss him. I think he senses my reaction because he leans intimately closer. Our lips are just centimeters apart and our eyes are locked intensely. My breath catches in my throat, but I dare not break the connection. He speaks, but his voice is just barely above a whisper. "I don't know about you, Courtney, but I felt something that day in the break room, and I'll be damned if you didn't too."

It was comforting to know that vulnerability was equal to both sides, but I didn't want to talk anymore. Without even thinking, my hands meet his face and pulled him towards me. Unlike our first kiss, this one was much more gentle and more meaningful. It seemed like we stayed like that forever; blissfully oblivious of all the danger and chaos revolving around us. Right now, the only thing that mattered was me and Duncan: Duncan and me. I was no longer afraid to admit how I felt, now that I knew the feeling was mutual.

But, as they say, all good things must come to an end eventually.

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**Okay, not the best, but I feel really bad about forgetting this story over the summer. It will be coming to an end in about 2 or 3 chapters. Please read and review :)**

**~xTAx**


	11. Choices

**Hey guys, back for another update.**

**So after many reviews and my thinking, I have decided to drag this out a little longer than just a few more chapters :) Thanks to all who reviewed and convinced me otherwise, you all are truly the greatest fans ever!**

**I've also been asked to focus a little more on some other characters besides Courtney and Duncan, and I will surely try. It's just so easy to write about them, and the lack of them in TDWT kills my soul. But in this chapter, I will focus more so on Bridgette and Izzy.**

**Read and Review!**

**~xTAx**

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***!Bridgette'sxPointxOfxView!***

It was a beautiful November evening in the clearing. The sky was a subtle orange in the fading sunlight. The leaves rustled in the soft chill. Small animals pranced all around, the only sign of their presence being the soft crunch of scattered twigs. It was so perfectly peaceful that it made me forget the rest of the world. The only things that existed were Geoff and I in this moment.

We lay there starring at the clouds, our only communication being his hand interlocked in mine. It's funny how two people could be so comfortable, so content with silence, in each other's presence. I closed my eyes and inhaled the sweet air like it were a drug. My hair lay freely across the soft grass. I liked the feeling. It reminded me of how life used to be. How it would never be again.

Geoff let out a yawn beside me. "Pretty, isn't it?"

"Beautiful." I roll over to face him. I swear I'm the luckiest girl in the world. His hair is so perfect in an unintentional kind of way. Without his cowboy hat, he looks much more sensitive and vulnerable. His blue eyes reflect the golden sun in a way that would make the greatest of artists swoon.

I think he senses my starring and turns to me a grins. "What're you looking at?"

"Not much. Only the greatest boyfriend ever." I grin. He reaches over to embrace me and I rest my head on his chest.

"How are you feeling? You know, about everything?"

I shrug. "I'm alright, I guess."

"You know I would never let anything happen to you, right?"

"I know." I smile. I reach up and kiss him softly. We lay there, intimately embraced. The whole world stops. There is only now. This very second. Consequences were lost on me. I had heard all the speeches, I knew all the risks and dangers that came with it, but I didn't care. And as long as I am blissfully oblivious of everything around me, I am going to take full advantage of this moment, before it becomes just a mere memory.

***!Izzy'sxPointxOfxView!***

After fourth period, I head to the cafeteria for lunch. School seems like such a minute and insignificant thing compared to our bigger agenda. It aggravates me that I am ranked on the same level as everyone, when I am definitely not like everyone else.

I grab todays special, turkey and noodle covered in gravy with mashed potatoes, and begin to head for our usual table. It's weird. Now that Duncan and Courtney have made it apparent that they are together, I am now the only girl without a boyfriend.

I sit in between Owen and Noah. Owen beams at me as I sit down. Owen is a great guy, but now I think all he sees in me is my abilities. Plus, what Duncan said still plays a factor. Sure I completely denied it, but that doesn't mean I was right.

"So I think I may have found more information about the Naturals. Anyone wish to accompany me to the library for some pirating?" Noah asked as he played with his food.

"Sorry, Noah. I have to study tonight." Courtney said. Duncan had his arm draped over her shoulder and she was absent mindedly playing with his fingers.

"By that, she means make out with me." Courtney elbowed him in the ribs, but didn't deny it.

"I can't. I signed up for art club. Figured it would keep my mind off things." Gwen said. Trent smiled and squeezed her hands.

Bridgette didn't even respond. Her and Geoff's heads were lowered, whispering. They were in their own little world. Something had changed between them. I could feel it. The way they looked at each other now, the way they touched, the way Geoff seemed to tense whenever anyone else besides us even talked to Bridgette. All I knew was that they were gone for a long time yesterday..

"That's just great." Noah's sarcastic voice broke me of my suspicious thoughts.

"I'll go." I said to Noah.

"Oh, wonderful. A crazy girl in a library. Do you even know where the library is?"

I gave him my best sneer. "I'll buy a map."

"Whatever."

I began to eat my lunch when I noticed Owen starring at me. His face was in his hands and his eyes were glowing. I admit, I did really like Owen, but now he feels like more of a fan boy. "Hi Owen." I smile trying to break the awkwardness.

"Hiya, Izzy. What're you doing this weekend?"

"Uh, nothing, why?"

"We could go out and you know, do something..together."

"Like a date?"

"Yea!"

"Owen, how do you think Gwen got that sling on her arm?"

Owen looked at Gwen and smacked his forehead. "Oh man I forgot! Well, we won't leave campus. I pinky swear." He held up his pinky like a five year old.

I intertwined his large pinky with my own, smaller one. "It's a date."

***!Bridgette'sxPointxOfxView!***

The guilt of it was eating at me. I felt that everyone could read my face and see what I had done. What we had done.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't take it back for the world, but I still felt that I had betrayed my girls. The clearing was our place, and I had connected it to Geoff and I. I had to tell someone, but I wasn't sure who.

Izzy? No. She being the big mouth she is, would definitely let it slip to one of the others.

Gwen? Even though she has been much more calm since her accident, she was still Gwen. And being Gwen came with the responsibility of overreacting and nagging.

I guess that left Courtney.

As uptight and as bossy as she may be, she was my closest friend before the accident. She knew me better than the others, and I just hoped that she would understand now.

Just when I was about to knock on her door, Duncan came out. He looked agitated.

"What's wrong with you, hot rod?"

"She kicked me out!"

"And why would she do such a thing?"

"I don't know, maybe she's on her period or something. Jeez." He rubbed his head as if he had been struck and marched down the hallway.

Cautiously, I opened the door and peered it. Courtney sat cross legged on her bed, stuffing something under her mattress. "What happened to _him_?"

"Oh, he tried to read my diary so I hit him on the head with it and kicked him out." A triumphant look spread across her face. "So whats up?"

"Uhm, I kinda want to talk to. It's important."

"Is it about the Naturals?"

"No, it's more of a personal thing." I sat on Izzy's bed and sighed. "Can you promise not to tell anyone? You're the only one who I feel won't judge me."

Her face softened. "I promise."

I breathed in deeply. "Yesterday in the clearing me and Geoff... well, we kinda.." I bit my lip finding it hard to say aloud.

Thankfully, I didn't need to, cuz judging by the look on Courtney's face she understood. "Are we happy or worried? Did you guys use.."

"No, I'm happy. We took all the precautions and were very careful.. it's just, I felt guilty. I mean, the clearing is supposed to be our sacred place. Somewhere where we can all go and train and not have to be afraid of exposure. And I ruined it."

Courtney rose and strode over to me. She pulled me into a reassuring hug. "There's nothing to feel guilty about. It was a beautiful moment for you and Geoff, and you shouldn't ruin it by worrying about stupid stuff like that."

"Thanks, I knew I picked the right person to talk to."

"No problem. And your secret is safe with me."

I felt relieved for the first time in a long time. For a hour, Courtney and I sat on her bed and just talked. Talked about things normal teenage girls would: boys, clothes, hair. It felt good to partake in such a mundane activity. It made me feel normal.

It made me feel human.

***!Izzy'sxPointxOfxView!***

Several minutes of searching and many annoyed students later, and I reached my destination. Walking into the library was weird and foreign. Everything was so quiet and organized. It made me feel dizzy. The color scheme was so dull and bland. The librarian was just as unexciting, with her white hair in a tight, high bun and her black, ancient dress dragging the ground. Her spectacles hung on her crooked nose. She looked like the evil witch from Hansel and Gretel. I avoided her desk, in fear of being fattened and later eaten.

Noah was in a secluded cubicle in the corner. The screen was shifted so that the florescent lights glared violently against it. He could read it, but nobody passing by could.

"Hiya, Noah." I said as I plopped down in a nearby chair. I was immediately shushed by the wicked witch behind the desk.

"I knew this was a bad idea." But even as he said it he grinned.

"So whats new in the world of the supernatural man hunters?" I whispered.

"Not too much. Just a few more documents that I need to decode. I think they have something to do with their recruits and their course of action, which could help tremendously."

"But can't they see if they've been hacked?"

"I have crypted the ILP address so that it is untraceable."

"But some crypts can be open."

He turned and grinned at me. "Not mine."

I couldn't help but grin back. This was fun. Just sitting here, chilling in a library with a guy. Granted, we were gathering information about men who want to capture us, but it was fun nonetheless.

I leaned closer to get a better look at the screen. I could see Noah's dark skin in the monitor flush slightly and I had to turn to avoid him seeing my blush. It was odd..

Since when did I blush?

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**Tada?**

**I hope you all were satisfied.**

**I wanted to broaden both characters, since neither of them were very significant, and I hope I succeeded.**

**Let it be known that this does not necessarily mean that Izzy will be with Noah. I just wanted her to be in on some drama. **

**Who do you guys think she should be with?**

**Owen?**

**Noah?**

**Review your choice!**

**Happy Writing!**

**~xTAx**


	12. Signs

_November 16, 2010_

_1:13 AM_

_Top of the Dorm Building._

_I'm dreaming in scarlet again._

_Everywhere I look it's there, sneaking upon me like an animal to its prey._

_I thought they were gone, I thought that the nightmares had finally resided to a corner of my brain where they would be kept forever._

_It appears I was wrong._

_The dreams haven't occurred since I met Trent. I thought he was my guardian angel, my one saving grace from the horridness that is my brain. It seems not even his soothing lullaby can sing this supernatural to sleep._

_The dream was like all the others: I am being chased down a dark street by an anomaly which I can not see. The street lamps' glow is faded and eerie as I dash, gasping for air. Lungs ablaze and legs screaming, I push myself slightly faster, for the predator is fast and persistent. I turn a corner down a narrow alley. I often wonder what my subconscious rationale is. Everyone knows that you never venture down a dark alley when being chased. And, just like all the other movies I have seen, I come to a dead end._

_But usually my dream stops here, but this time it proceeded slightly further._

_I now detect my advancer to be a man, tall and broad. He lurks in the shadows, but I can feel his terrorizing gaze fixed upon me. I back up against the wall whimpering like a child. _

"_Three down, one to go." The creature smiles, his voice deep and inhumanly. My pulse quickens as he begins toward me. His form comes together piece by piece as he steps into the moonlight. Just as his face is about to be illuminated, I scream and wake up._

_It is a wonder that I did not arouse anyone. My entire body was covered in sweat and ached, as if I had actually been running for my life. _

_So I flew. I opened my window carefully and soared to the roof tops._

_I know it has been a while since I have written, but I felt as though the pages of this diary were too morbid to relive. Maybe now that I have lived up to my full potential as a freak of nature, we can rekindle our disturbing connection._

_Gwen._

I close my purple journal with a sigh. It had been almost three months since I had last written in it. Every page, every line consumed with the darkness of my past and the cloudiness of my future.

It felt good to confide in something incapable of speech and judgment. To be able to share my pain was both a reward and a punishment, for writing it down made it real. Now I will never be able to forget.

But do I want to forget? Do I need to forget?

My head throbs with confusion and lack of sleep. Nothing good ever came from my dreams. The first time I experienced the dream was the night before I received my powers. Another time was the night before the solar eclipse. But this dream was more vivid than the others. I had never made it past the alley before. I had never seen the man's form. I had never heard his voice.

_Three down, one to go._

The thought was unnerving and made me shiver. It was obvious who the other three were, and the thought of any harm coming to them made me furious, but it also made me extremely terrified. If this dream was more clear than the others, did that mean that the danger ahead was more treacherous? Worse than discovering that you are a freak and being exiled by your own family and friends?

This had to do something with the Naturals. They must be close. I need to tell the others, but should I go into such explicit details about my dream? A dream that, for so long, I have kept hidden to all but my diary? The sacrifice would be worth making if it kept my friends alive for another day.

I arose from my sanctuary to stretch my limbs. The sun would be rising in a few hours, but sleep was out of the question. I walked to the ledge, preparing for my decent when I caught a movement from below. A lone figure stood in the tree line just outside the school's gates. I focused my eyes intently on the shadow, but the darkness was too thick. Suddenly a flash of color, so intense that it temporarily blinded me, appeared within the trees. To any one, it would merely appear to be a freak accident, maybe a spill from the science building, or a juvenile's attempt at arson. But no, it was a sign, for the fire was set in one specific location of the forest. A location that only meant something to seven specific individuals

The clearing. Our clearing. The one place where we could freely release our contained powers. Where we were not seen as freaks or different, just people. The physical and sentimental loss shook me, the the realization that came with it was just as overpowering.

They were here. They knew where we were, and this was their way of showing it.

I looked at the figure in the shadows. He looked at me for a brief moment before retreating to the woods, but not before I caught a glimpse of him.

Black boots. A small detail insignificant to so many. But these were not just any black boots. They were the very boots that would be haunting me forever. The boots that sparked the horrid recognition from within my subconscious. The boots of the man who started the fire, and who were stalking my friends and I for our uniqueness, our peculiarity, and our willingness to live.

He was the man from my dream.

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**So, not the longest chapter, but there is a strategy to this.**

**The story is coming to a close, so I can either write a few long chapters or more short chapters. **

**If I write shorter chapters, then I will work harder to make the words I write more interesting and create a slower and more dramatic rising action.**

**Even though it's short, this is definitely my favorite and most well written chapter. I hope you enjoy it too :) **

**Read and review :)**

**~xTAx**


	13. News

**Hey Guys.**

**So I have a proposition for you readers.**

**I had originally planned to make this story short, but with all the attention it is getting, I just can't find it in my heart to let it go.**

**So do you want to make Elemental Sorcery longer? Here's what you do..**

**REVIEW!**

**So far I have 137 reviews, which is great, but what can I say, I'm greedy.**

**My goal? **

**500 reviews.**

**Now I know this goal is slightly unfeasible, but I just want to get close.**

**So if you like the story, review it.**

**If you love it, tell everybody you know to check it out and review too.**

**Pleaseandthankyou:)**

**And remember to review and I make ES longer!**

**~xTAx**

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***!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!***

All of us, plus Noah, were rushing toward the library at three o'clock in the morning in our pajamas. Gwen had stormed into our room, hysterical. She said something about a man and the clearing. It was hard to understand her when she was in this state.

She led the group through the abandoned the halls. It felt weird, sneaking around after hours. I was surprised that we hadn't been apprehended yet. Were students allowed out of their dormitories at this hour? Especially boys and girls together? My breath hitched at the thought of getting caught. I usually like to stay out of trouble, under the radar. But what more did I have to lose, right?

We reached the library within minutes. Gwen jerked the handle, "It's locked, what do we do?"

"Out of the way, sweetheart," Duncan pushed through the crowd, pulled out a pocket knife.

"You carry a pocket knife around?" I asked astonished.

After a second, the door slowly slung open. "Comes in handy, doesn't it?" he grinned. "So why the library, anyway?"

"We needed a big place to meet. Plus, the library is the only place with public wi-fi." Gwen rushed over to the large oak table. She was still shaking violently, and she was paler than usual. We all followed her with haste.

"So, what's this all about?" Geoff asked.

Gwen took a shallow breath, she retrieved something from her pocket. It was a small book. The leather shell was a shiny purple, but the pages were old and worn. "This is my journal. I've never shown it to anyone." Her eyes shined in the corners. "I started writing right before we got our powers. There's some gaps, time wise, but it should explain most of it."

"What's this about, Gwen." Bridgette asked concerned.

"Just read it, please. I'll explain everything once you do. In the mean time, Noah, I want to look at what you've found." He nodded and brought the laptop closer to her. I grabbed the journal and opened it to the first page. The entry were written in blue ink and the letters were curved in a delicate slant, an unusual pattern for a young girl. Everyone crowded around me as I read silently.

_August 24, 2006_

_4:39 a.m._

_My name is Clorissa Gwendolyn Burke. Everyone calls me Clorissa, it was my grandmother's name, but you can call me Gwen. I like that name better. I'm twelve years old._

_I've never written in a diary before, but, in light of recent events, I felt it was appropriate. _

_I'm not usually the type of person to get freaked out by my dreams, but it appears that my subconscious mind is trying to send me a message. This dream felt so real. I woke up sweating, my arm was bleeding from a shallow cut. I felt as if I had just ran a marathon._

_Someone, something, was chasing me down a dark street. I screamed and cried, but they just bounced off the buildings, unheard to anyone but me. I ran and I ran, as hard as my legs would carry me. Then everything just faded away._

_I don't know what this means, and I don't know why it's happening to me. But I won't tell mom. She'd just call me crazy. So, for now, it looks like you're my own little secret keeper._

_Gwen._

Next to the entry was a sketch. A dark street loomed ahead, seemingly carrying on forever. The street lamps were shaded dimly and the streets were naked. Shakily, I flipped to the next page.

_August 25, 2006_

_9:21 p.m._

_There was a bus wreck today._

_A meteor had crashed a few feet away. The driver got spooked and veered off the road. Nobody got hurt, but something strange happened._

_Whether it was some magnetic pull or magic, I cannot be sure. But whatever it was, it did not only affect me. As I walked toward the smoking mass, I noticed I was not alone. Elizabeth, who I never really liked, was walking almost zombie like toward the rock. Ashlynn, the pretty girl in my math class, looked terrified, like she was being shoved against her will. And Sophie Anne looked on with amazement and wonder. None of us spoke, but we each felt a peculiar draw toward the rock._

_It was smoking. There was a certain hue in the mist that puzzled me. Then it flashed. A blinding flash that made me stagger slightly. I felt no different, but the pull toward the rock had subsided. My wrist itched strangely. A symbol, some sort of sick tattoo, was etched into my skin. _

_The symbol is gone now, but I find that it appears whenever I am angry or sad or lonely. _

_Did this have something to do with the dream? What pulled me toward the rock? What does this symbol mean?_

_I always knew I was different._

_Gwen_

This drawing was of the ancient symbol on her wrist. The detail was extravagant, shaded in just the right places. It was like I was actually looking at her arm.

_September 2, 2006_

_4:08 p.m._

_I just got home from school, I missed the bus and Ashlynn's mom brought me home._

_The weather has been acting strange lately. Wherever I go, a strong wind seems to consume me. My hair gets tangled, my papers fly everywhere. But that's not the only strange thing. It's been raining for days, yet the temperature hasn't dropped below 80 degrees. We've also been getting small tremors, nothing too serious, no earthquakes yet. But it still feels strange._

_Gwen_

"Skip ahead a few pages, to January 4, 2010." Gwen said from behind the monitor.

I flipped the worn pages to the said date:

_January 4, 2010_

_3:56 a.m._

_I had the dream again._

_But this time, it progressed slightly further. I kept running, running. I turned a corner. Dread and panic washed over me. Then it faded once more._

_And, like before, I woke up exhausted and bleeding._

_I'm scared._

_Gwen._

***!Gwen'sxPointxOfxView!***

I watched anxiously as Courtney flipped through the pages of my sacred journal. I dreaded them reading the final passage. I dreaded having to give them the news we've been dreading since I was shot.

I could tell they were there, their faces slowly began to change, one by one. Some were of shock. Some of fear. And some, Geoff, were just confused.

They all looked to me for answers. Answers I wasn't sure I was ready to give. I slowly lifted the sleeve of my t-shirt, revealing my still bleeding wound, the wound I got every time I had the dream.

It was in the same place and the exact shape and size of my bullet scar.

"I take it you don't have good news." Bridgette breathed.

"I wish I did." I took a deep breath, dropping my sleeve. "I saw him, the man from the dreams. He was in the forest." I could feel my breath hitch, and I tried so hard to control myself. "He burned down the clearing. They've found us."

The room was silent. My ears rang. I kept my eyes on my shaking hands.

"So, what do we do?" Courtney whispered.

"What can we do?" Trent asked.

"Uhm, I hate to be the bearer of even more bad news, but I found something." Noah starred intently at his computer screen.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The Naturals. They've been recruiting."


	14. Threats

**Okay, before I get started on this chapter, I need to clarify something.**

**I am _NOT_ just writing this story simply for reviews. I only made the challenge because I was competing with one of my friends. **

**It really hurts and disappoints me that some of you think that my writing is purely for publicity or bragging rights. Writing is my passion and I love it more than anything, and I would just appreciate it if you would not question my methods and just enjoy my work for what it is. I accept criticism for my writing, but, I'm sorry, I do not accept criticism of my character.**

**Please and Thank You.**

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***!Bridgette'sxPointxOfxView!***

"How... how could this have happened?" Courtney paced hastily around the small dorm. We had managed to sneak the boys in, and were now crowded on Izzy and Gwen's beds. The room was eerily silent other than the sound of Courtney's steady footfall. Everyone stared at the walls, too afraid of what they might find in each others eyes.

Three thousand. That's how many people had signed the registry for the Naturals. Three thousand people who knew our names, faces, and what we were capable of. Three thousand reasons why we would never be safe again. How many of those people lived in the city? On campus? The odds were so far out of our favor, that the mere thought of gambling a visit to the bathroom was too risky.

I lay on Geoff's chest, listening to the slow rhythm of his heartbeat. It was sort of funny. In the middle of all this chaos and turmoil, I still managed to find my solace in him. Just the mere presence of him eased my soul. Maybe it was the chemistry between our elements, (water conducts electricity, right?), but I felt a certain pull towards him, stronger than any force I had ever known. I just hope that he feels as strongly towards me, because, as of recently, his presence has been like a drug, and I wasn't too sure if I could quit him so easily.

***!Izzy'sxPointxOfxView!***

Was it wrong of me to be sleepy during this madness? Maybe it was a combination of the physical exhaustion of my insomnia and the emotional exhaustion of realizing that you may not be alive to see the sun rise. The only thing I could focus on to keep my brain from shutting down was Noah's almost invisible fingers as his hands glided over the keyboard at an unreal speed. He had ingeniously hacked into the library's data base and was feeding off their internet source from our dorm. He typed in the codes as if they were building towards a beautiful mosaic. His dark eyes reflected the intricate patterns, his lip quivered slowly, a silent conversation to someone none of us were intelligent enough to see.

Trent, sitting on the other side of Noah, leaned over curiously. "What are you doing anyway, man?"

Noah rolled his eyes, as if the question were obvious, "I'm trying to hack into the registry and see if I can get my hands on the names of these people. Hopefully, with a little more digging, I can determine how many 'mercenaries' are within our danger zone."

Courtney stopped her pacing to stare at him, "That's brilliant! Can you actually do that?"

He grinned, never taking his eyes off his masterpiece. "With both hands tied behind my back."

A few minutes passed in unbearable silence. All eyes were resting on Noah, who seemed oblivious to everyone around him. Abruptly, he stopped. Line after line of digital codes ran down his screen. He said nothing, simply stared at the phenomenon.

"Is that... supposed to happen?" Gwen asked, her face looking a hue lighter than her usual paleness.

"I'm not sure. I can try to halt it, but I may-"

The codes disappeared. Leaving a endless void of black. It was creepily quiet as we all watched, waiting to see something, some sign of life.

Well... we got our wish.

A new window had opened. This one appearing to be a video chat. Filling the screen was a broad shouldered man, maybe in his fifties. His white beard took the majority of his face and his beady black eyes glared at the screen. Could he see us? Did he know where we were?

"Ashlynn. Clarissa. Sophie. Elizabeth. Your powers are an act against humanity and against God. You are damned abominations to society, who deserve to be punished. We know your aliases and we know where you are. It would be best to turn yourselves in. We would not want anyone innocent to be harmed. Tell your little boyfriends to stay away if they do not wish to be persecuted. Also, Mr. Sanchez, I am truly sorry, but you should choose your friends more carefully." And with that, the man disappeared, returning Noah's screen into the black void. He began typing, but nothing happened. His face contorted into a mixture of rage and sadness.

"No. No! Come on, come on. Damnit!" he slammed the computer onto the floor. "He crashed my computer. It's unrepairable."

***!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!***

I was breaking. Every piece of me was shattering into tiny shards, cutting me from the inside. The room had grown eerily silent. Everyones eyes clouded with different emotions. This was too much.

Then sweet and naive Geoff spoke up, "Wait, he didn't say you guys, he said four other girls' names. This was all just a big misunderstanding!"

The group hung their heads. Trent and Bridgette shared a secret, meaningful look. "Uhm, actually, Geoff, there's something I need to tell you."

"I need some air," I excused myself and abruptly fled to the dorm restroom. I ran the steamy water over my hands and splashed them on my face. I was a mess. Dark bags lay underneath my red and wild eyes. My skin looked paler than usual and my hair seemed stringy and thin.

I hated this. I hated being in a situation that no one deserved. I hated the meteor shower. I hated the eclipse. I hated having this ability. I hated this secret organization. But, above all, I hated myself.

I slid down the bathroom wall, my legs suddenly not strong enough to carry my weight. I hugged my knees to my chest, letting the tears fall free for the first time in a long time. All my anger and sadness that had been bottled up for so long was now flowing freely. My strong facade was crumbling to dust.

A slow creak interrupted my sobs. Being that it was four-thirty in the morning, I doubted that it was a girl from the dormitory, so I just stayed still, covering my tear stained face. A strong figure slid down next to me. He said nothing, just rubbed my hair as I silently cried. Oddly enough, it was exactly what I needed. Reassurings about how everything was going to be okay wouldn't help, because we both knew they were lies.

After a few moments, my breathing calmed and Duncan fetched me some toilet paper to dry my eyes. He just looked at me patiently, waiting for me to be ready to talk. The problem was, I wasn't sure if I would ever be ready. But I had to be. We were past the point of self-pity and cowardice. Somehow sensing my hesitation, he started, "You know, I would never let anything happen to you. I will protect you with every ounce of my being. As long as I'm here, no one will touch you. I promise."

"Duncan, this is all my fault."

"What are you talking about? How could the meteor shower be your fault?"

I sighed, "No, not that. We didn't have to be friends, me and the girls. It was my idea to band together after the incident. We called it our 'secret club'. It was my idea to train together and learn to control our abilities. I have single-handedly destroyed their futures for a better life.

"Gwen being shot. The clearing. The witch hunt. It was all orchestrated by that man." I looked down, urging myself to continue and fight through the pain. "He's not after the others, he's after me. He's my dad."

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**I am sorry for my routine tardiness, but hopefully summer brings more frequent updates.**

**And I am also sorry if I sounded like a bitch in my opening note, I just really wanted to clarify some things.**

**I love you all! Please review!**

**And, as always, Happy Writing!**

**~xTAx**


	15. Destruction

**Hey guys,**

**This story is reaching the home stretch :( Only about three or four more chapters to go.**

**So, the updates will hopefully be coming more frequently.**

**Enough with me,**

**Enjoy and Review!**

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***!Gwen'sxPointxOfxView!***

The dream. It was back, but it was different.

I was still running, but this time, instead of tall, marvelous building flashing past, I was in a forest. I don't know how, but I knew this was the end. The trees were thick, leaving me in darkness. My stomach dropped to my feet and my palms began to sweat. Even though I could not see the man, I knew he was there, closer than he had ever been before.

I felt like I was moving in slow motion, the trees crawling out of my line of vision. I pushed and pushed, but my speed remained the same. I could run no more, but I knew I must. I felt warm liquid running down my arm. My shot wound was bleeding, burning a deep red stain in my shirt.

Wait a second..

I whipped my head down. These weren't my clothes. I wore green capris and wedges. My white button down shirt and grey vest were slowly being soaked in crimson. _Courtney. _Why was I wearing her clothes? What did it mean? I swallowed the mass in my throat, wishing this dream would end.

I could see a silver ray of light, just beyond the horizon. I ran harder than I ever had, the trees picking up pace along side me. The trees were beginning to thin, the grass grew softer. I broke through the final vine and fell onto the soft moss.

I just lay there, breathing in the refreshing scent of the blades that tickled my cheeks. I wanted it to end: the running, the hiding, the fear. If I couldn't live in a world where I wasn't being hunted, then why live at all?

"Gwen? Are you okay?"

All warmth left my body, leaving me frozen and rigid. I straightened to my knees, balling Courtney's pants in my grip. "Trent? What are you doing here?"

"I came to protect you." He was dressed in a dark suit, his face shining flawlessly in the sun's rays. He seemed to be glowing, like he was the one lighting the entire forest. I looked around a noticed where I was. The clearing, back to it's former glory. The trees danced delicately in the wind, stray rocks lay scattered and broken from hours of practice. Trent began to shorten the distance between us. His foot steps made no noise, as if he were an apparition. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine! You need to get out of here, he's coming!" I screamed between breaths. My voice sounded broken, weak, like I hadn't had a glass of water in weeks.

"What are you talking about, Gwen?" he knelt before me, his large emerald eyes searching my face worryingly.

"The man! The one who's been hunting us, he's here! He was right behind me."

He cupped my face in his hand, but his eyes were filled with doubt. Why wouldn't he believe me? "Honey, I know you're tired, but I promise that nothing was following you. Here, I'll show you."

He rose to his feet and walked back towards the dark forest. "Trent, no! Please!"

**Bang.**

I jumped to my feet and twirled.

No.

This wasn't happening.

It was impossible.

As if in slow motion, Trent slowly fell to his knees. "Gwen. Run." he whispered with his last, shagged breath.

My whole world spiraled, landing in a crash of devastation and turmoil. My knees buckled and I lay on the grass once more, starring at the lifeless form of the one person who I loved more than anything. "Please get up." I whimpered. I watched closely, waiting for his chest to rise or for his foot to twitch. But no suck luck.

Appearing from the shadows came the man. And, for the first time, I see his face. His strong features and dark eyes give off a wave of intimidation and confidence. His black hair is sleeked back like a business man. Everything about him is normal, except for the smoking pistol in his left hand. I pause, looking deep into his features. His eyes, they were all too familiar. That nose... those ears... that smirk.

I froze. The universe was spinning, I had to be hallucinating.

My voice had escaped me, my whole body went numb. I couldn't talk, couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

The man smiled as he passed Trent's body. "Hello, Clarissa. So nice to see you again."

I couldn't retreat, my feet were planted firmly on the ground. I cleared my throat, finding a voice I was sure didn't belong to me. "What have you done, Dad?"

My father sighed, "I'm afraid it is you who is to blame, my child. They didn't have to die. You could have stopped it."

"What do you mean? Who else is dead?" I screamed.

"Look around you, darling."Against my better judgment, I spun, taking every inch of the clearing into view.

They were all there. Courtney. Izzy. Duncan. Geoff. Noah. Bridgette. Trent. They were spaced evenly apart, creating a morbid circle enclosing my father and I. Tears flew from my eyes, my body was trembling. My hard, together facade was gone, set aflame by all the death and destruction. "What have you done!" I shrieked.

"It was not I who killed your friends." My body tingled. I looked down to see that I was no longer wearing Courtney's clothes, but a business suit. The suit was nearly identical to my father's. However, the front end was completely soaked in blood, and this time, I feared it wasn't my own. "You changed everything. You made the right choice."

"And what choice was that?" I growled.

He stepped closer to me. I flinched when he shifted, afraid he might make contact. "The choice to join the right side. If you hadn't aided us in their demise, then you would have suffered the same fate." He paused, looking at me with a different expression. This was not my father. This was a man morphed from insanity and treachery. This was not the man that rocked me when I was a child, or the man that held me when I was scared. This man was a killer, a traitor. He had so easily decided to come after his own daughter. He was evil. "I'm so proud of you, Clara."

***!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!***

The night lay still. The dormitory halls were as quiet as a cemetery, the sky was clear of any meteorological disturbances. Everything seemed so quiet and peaceful, yet my mind could not stop racing. Insomnia lay cozily in my brain, poking and probing at all the things that have happened. Everybody was on edge, too paranoid to step out of line. We stayed as close to the main buildings as we could, avoiding the large, silver gates like the plague.

Our fearsome foursome seemed to be suffering as well. We barely spoke anymore, and when we did it was always strategic or morbid. It's been weeks since Izzy cracked a joke. Bridgette has been unusually cold, never offering to reach her hand out in comfort. And Gwen... well, it's hard to say. She hasn't been raging like normal. She's just been... quiet. Like her mind is completely blank of any thought or emotion. She was turning into a robot.

I sighed as I readjusted myself against my pillow. I wish the universe would be on our side for once.

That's when I heard it. A creak in the hallway.

I froze, mentally cursing myself for my crack at the universe. I slowly rose to my feet, preparing for an ambush. The footsteps were light, deliberate. They patted softly and came to a halt in front of our door, blocking the incoming hall light. I edged myself closer to Izzy's bed, trying to nudge her foot. She stirred, but would not wake. I did not want to scream until I was absolutely sure it was a threat.

The door knob jiggled slightly, not making a noise. I wouldn't have been able to see it if I had not been looking straight at it. Okay, maybe it was Duncan. He's snuck out a few times to spend the night, but never at 3 o'clock in the morning.

The knob jiggled once more, then, as if in some sort of spy movie, it slowly opened. I got into a fighting stance, ready to defend myself and my friends.

Suddenly, four men charged in, all wearing black suits and dark shades. Yep, just like a spy movie. My turn to be James Bond.

"Izzy! Wake up! They're here!"

A man, no younger than twenty, charged at me. I lifted up my knee and hit him in the stomach. He stumbled, but recovered much more quickly than I anticipated. He charged again, this time managing to land a hit to my left temple. I fell, my brain threatening to bust out of my skull, but I would not go down that easily.

I kicked my legs out, managing to send him crashing into the west bookshelf. Then came the other foot soldier. This one was older, but much stronger. He grabbed my arms, quickly securing them together with a thick, braided rope. I jumped to my feet, managing to kick him a few times before soldier number one came back and kicked the bend of my knee. I stumbled down, bleeding and broken. I managed to look up. Izzy had held her own, but a larger man had pinned her on the floor, bounding her. I faintly heard her screaming for Gwen and Bridgette when the world faded to black.

***!Gwen'sxPointxOfxView!***

I awoke in a cold sweat. The hair on my arms was on end. This dream was worse. The pain was so real. My face was still tear stained, and I could feel a warm liquid leaking down my arm.

I rose, delirious and confused by my surroundings. This was not my dorm, I wasn't in my bed.

My heart stopped; I was still in the clearing.

I hastily jumped to my feet. The moon shone above, only managing to illuminate a faint glow on the clearing. How did I get out here? Did I sleep walk? I hurriedly scanned the perimeter. There were no bodies, that was a good sign.

Suddenly, I had the feeling I wasn't alone. Before I could react, I was gagged from behind. The unknown assailant pinched my pressure point, leaving me paralyzed. I slid to my knees, helpless and defeated.

From the shadows, I noticed fourth bodies, each slowly and eerily approaching the clearing. My heart dropped. Courtney, Izzy, and Bridgette lay limp in each of their arms. No... this couldn't be. They can't be dead, this wasn't fair!

Breaking from the pack, was the fourth man, whom I soon recognized as my father. He stopped and smiled down at me. It was a sick, menacing smile that could only be worn on the face of true evil.

"Three down, one to go."

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**What do you think? It's starting to get a little more intense.**

**Please review and I will try to put another update out as quickly as possible.**

**I love you all!**

**~SarahxTAx**


	16. Deals

**Howdy Ho, Ranger Joe.**

**I am back! And I bring good news. (At least I hope you take it as good)**

**Thanksgiving break is coming up! Which means that I will be writing more? Hopefully! And Kentucky is notorious for mass amounts for snow days, so look forward to those!**

**Also, after a long and hard deliberation I have decided to EXPAND. Meaning, I have made an executive decision to make this story longer. Cool, no? I have thought of a killer ending, and I think you guys will like it a lot better. My goal is at least 21 chapters, but we'll see how it goes!**

**Anyways, I am uber sorry, and I promise to make it up to you with a whole bunch of twists! Reviews help motivate me to write, just so you know!**

**So, please review! I love you all.**

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***!Izzy'sxPointxOfxView!***

Owch. My head is throbbing. My arms are swore and my legs feel like they've been beaten with a sledgehammer. The smooth floor is cold against as my body as I lie in a mangled heap. Against my better judgment, I open my eyes just a sliver. A stabbing pain shoots through my head. _I_ _must have the biggest hangover ever. Too bad I don't even remember drinking_.

I am in a cage. That can't be good. The room I'm in is small and dark and completely… metallic? Everything in the room is made of shiny metal, which wasn't much considering the room was practically bare. Even the walls and floor are metallic. Why in the world would someone build a room made entirely of metal? Unless…

Snapshots flooded my brain. The men in the dark suits. The fight. The girls and I being knocked out.

The girls! They must've been captured. Which means the only people who could have done this would be the _Naturals. _Were they okay? Were they in the building? So many worries and questions raced through my mind as I tried to bite back tears. I needed to get out of here and fast. They could be running out of time.

They knew I could manipulate the Earth, that's why they built the room. As much as I hate to admit it, it was rather clever. But everything had to have _some_ kind of mineral in it or something. If the metal had just a pinch of rock in it, it could be enough for me to bend the bars slightly.

I braced myself against one of the slender bars. Propping my foot on the side, I gripped it firmly with both hands and pulled as hard as I could. The bar remained sturdy and unmoving.

After what felt like an hour of tugging and twisting, I sat back on the cool surface, panting. I lifted my hand to wipe my face, when a strange image caught the corner of my eye. The southernmost wall looked shinier than the rest. Its immaculate surface doubled as a mirror. My face was red and my cheeks were slightly swollen. My bare legs were covered in purple splotches and my arms were tattooed with long scratches and cuts. But that was not what caught my attention. My hair, usually a wild ensemble of fire and chaos, was straight and neat and trimmed to my shoulders. It was so delicate and feminine, completely contrasting the rest of my appearance. The last time I had this hair style was right before the crash...

I brushed the trimmed edges delicately with my fingertips. I don't know what these sickos wanted or what they are planning, but it is going to be big. There is a reason they hadn't killed me yet. Now all I have to do is figure out what that reason is before they change their mind.

***!Bridgette'sxPointxOfxView!***

What's felt like weeks has merely been hours. I sit in a small ball starring out into the small room. It looks like a normal room- you know, as normal as a room can be with a caged girl inside- but it just didn't feel right. I struggled to breath, each intake a shallow struggle. My throat is insanely dry and my mouth tastes like sandpaper. I needed water, and I needed it fast. Had they went through all this trouble, just for me to die from dehydration? It seemed like a wasted effort to me.

My body is sore. There is a large mark on my side, and it burns every time I move; it must be a broken rib. My wrist is stiff and my arms are covered in bruises. For some reason they took my hairbo, which just made me sweat even more. I hated my hair down- it was way too thick and it burned me up. I don't see any reason in taking it. Maybe it's a part in their 'evil genius' plan. It didn't matter; there was no use in wondering. I need to find a way out of here. The cage was solid steel. There was no way I could break it with just my hands.

_Maybe I could try to get some water out of the air. I could use it as a sort of saw. _Why hadn't I thought of that earlier? I quickly jumped to my feet, ignoring the throbbing in my ankles. I spread my feet apart and stretch my arms high above me. I closed my eyes and tried my hardest to concentrate despite the pain. I tried to imagine all the molecules in the air and separating the water atoms from the rest. I just need enough to slice though one column. My fingers tingled, stretching out in an attempt to grasp someone well beyond my reach.

"I wouldn't waste your energy if I were you. This room has been calibrated to twelve percent humidity. The largest amount you'll be able to conjure is a raindrop. And we wouldn't want to waste that, now would we?" I twisted to face the voice, sending an unbearable pain up my entire torso. The man was thin and tall, couldn't be over thirty. Traditionally, he was wearing a dark suit and carried a small plate. He walked closer to the cage, a smug grin on his face. "You might as well just wait here quietly until it's time for you to die."

"You go to hell." I growled as he approached.

His grin only broadened. "Save me a seat?" He slung the plate inside the cage. A single slice of white bread starred back at her.

He turned to walk away. "Wait! I need something to drink."

He stopped, turning his head slightly, "Yes, we are aware of your…" he motioned to her stomach, "situation. You will be injected with fluids every other day."

I waited until he reached the door when I called, "what do you mean my situation?" I held my breath, afraid of the answer to my own question.

At this, he chuckled. "Oh, you ignorant creature. Are you not aware of the abomination you have created? It is a tragedy, really. Your child is doomed by your own damnation."

***!Gwen'sxPointxOfxView!***

They removed me from my cage a few moments ago. I am walking handcuffed down a long, narrow hallway. The metallic walls are unnaturally shiny and the dangling fluorescents dangerously bright. I glance at my reflection on the smooth surface. My face had been intensely scrubbed, revealing fair, olive skin- slightly pink with irritation. My hair was rinsed and restored to its natural dark brown color. I didn't recognize myself, which terrified me. If I didn't even know who I was, then what else was there to hold on to?

The two men pushed me roughly down a second, shorter hallway and through a set of swinging double doors. After a few more minutes of shoving and cursing, they led me to a large office. The room vastly contradicted the mental facility that was the rest of the building. The slick wooden floor was decorated with various rugs, the sofa was accompanied by a long, glass coffee table covered in various magazines, and bookshelves showcased numerous colored spines throughout the room.

Behind the large desk sat a large man with a thick beard and cold eyes. Standing to his right like a pathetic little foot soldier was my father. He starred at me with a blank expression.

Also handcuffed and facing the men, was Courtney. She was a mess. Though her hair was the same, it was tangled and thin. Her clothes were ragged and torn. Her lip was bloody and her ankle was dangerously swollen. A hint of blood could be seen through her sleeves.

"Clarrisa. Elizabeth. How nice of you to join us," the bearded man said.

"_Join_ you? You sent your goons to injure and kidnap us! What kind of father are you?" Courtney screamed. So this man was her father? That didn't make any sense. How did he know my father? And why had they decided to team up to hunt their daughters down?

"A father that is about to offer you a deal to save your life."

"What kind of deal?" she spat.

"We have recently received reports of numerous other meteors that struck the Earth the same day as did the one that infected you girls. We fear that there may be more people like _you _out there. The deal is that you both join our forces and aid us in tracking down and eliminating any other 'tainted' individuals. If you agree, you shall not be harmed." My father talked with such clarity and conviction, like genocide was a completely normal topic of discussion.

"Not a chance!" Courtney glared.

"Do you not understand, Elizabeth? This is your only chance for survival. If you refuse, I will be forced to end you."

She laughed. It was a scary sight. Her grin was lopsided, like she was finally reaching the point of insanity. "I look forward to it _f-a-t-h-e-r,_" she drawled the word out in a haunted drawl.

"What of you, Clara?" My father watched me expectantly. His eyes bore into mine like a laser. Courtney grinned at me, waiting for me to start screaming and ranting about how I wouldn't join them if my life depended on it.

But my life did depend on it. And I needed to make a decision. I needed to think about me.

"I'll do it."

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**Like? Yes? No?**

**I'm trying to add more suspense and danger and twists. I hope you guys aren't disappointed. If you have any suggestions, please pm me or message me on twitter (xxxtdiangelxxx) or tumblr (youreawhorsea)**

**I love you! Please review!**

**~SarahxTAx**


	17. Doom

**Two updates? In one week! There must be something in the water!**

**I have had a vision! A vision of where this story is going to end! I have FINALLY decided on an ending! And trust me, ladies and gentlemen, it shall be epic. **

**So, let's get to it, shall we?**

**So, please enjoy review!**

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***!ThexBoys'xPointxOfxView!***

It has been three days. Despite their tiresome efforts, the boys have accomplished nothing. Noah's computer is still fried, Trent is too emotionally distraught to add anything useful, Geoff is too busy trying to cheer everyone up to focus clearly, and Duncan is just… quiet. The logical part of his brain was trying to control the chaotic mix of emotions raging under the surface. He replayed the past few weeks in his head constantly, studying it from every angle possible. Everyone was the enemy, a possible spy or operative. The principal had informed the staff that Isabella, Courtney, Bridgette, and Gwendolyn had been officially un-enrolled as of Sunday. Were they completely oblivious to what had happened- or did they simply not care? Were they a part of this whole thing?

Duncan pushed these delusions to the back of his mind. If he entertained these paranoid thoughts, they would consume him. He needed his head to be clear and level; their lives depended on it.

Dinner had just ended and the four boys were gathered in Trent's room, much like every day since the abductions. Noah typed away on Geoff's laptop, obviously distraught by the lack of the proper software. He had been working at weaseling his way into the _Naturals'_ network, with minimal success. The chances of them heightening their security were very likely, since they now knew what side Noah was working for. Trent was lying on his back, headphones turned up loud enough to drown out his own thoughts, staring mindlessly at the ceiling. Duncan and Geoff sat on the opposite bed, indulging themselves in minute small talk. No matter the topic, everything seemed to go back to a battle strategy or rescue mission. At times, it drove them towards insanity, attracting Duncan to give Trent's hypnotic therapy a try.

Noah pushed the laptop away from him, wiping his hands on his pants, "I think it's safe to say that what we're doing is wasted effort. The security is way too advanced for my laptop, let alone this piece of scrap metal. We need to get out of this cloud of misery and start thinking of a game plan."

"Let's try to think about all the positive aspects we bring to the table," Geoff added. "First off, we have the element of surprise."

Noah nodded, "That's true. As far as we know, the _Naturals _have no idea that you guys have any sort of supernatural ability. If they did, they would have taken you out along with the girls, or at least establish some sort of threat or ransom. They do, however, know who we are. So you guys need to make an extra effort to not show any sort of power until the girls are safe. Good job, Geoff. Anything else?"

"They know that you're a computer whiz," Duncan started, "but I don't think they fully understand what you're capable of. If we were to find their headquarters and break in, could you not disarm all of their security systems?"

"Yeah, but, depending on their operating system, it could take a few minutes. I would need some insurance so that I wouldn't be interrupted."

"We can provide that." Duncan looked at Trent, still oblivious to anything happening around him. His eyebrows furrowed together as he scanned the ceiling. Finally, he was exhibiting some sort of brain activity. "Hey, Elvis, you know you could try and contribute something."

Trent sat up, ripping his ear buds out of his ears and glanced frantically around. "Owen."

Noah raised an eyebrow, "What about him?"

"Has anyone seen him?"

"No, DJ told me he had the stomach flu. He's been at home."

"Doesn't anyone find it odd that he disappears around the same time the girls' were abducted? We know Izzy told him about her powers, isn't it possible that he's the mole?"

The room was eerily silent, the air still and foreboding. Finally, Geoff spoke up, "Nah, man. It can't be Owen. He's a good guy, and a goofball. There's no way he would get himself mixed up with these kinds of people."

"Maybe, but do you really think it's worth the risk to not investigate?" Duncan retorted. Geoff opened his mouth to reply, but quickly shut it back.

Noah began typing away on the computer, "Just give me a minute to get his address from the academy's database."

***!Gwen'sxPointxOfxView!***

They have removed my handcuffs and I now sit in a new office. This office is very bland and ordinary. The walls, floor, and furniture are all made of wood. A single oval rug serves as the only hint of creativity. There are no books or magazines, just maps and plaques and blueprints. Of course, I would expect nothing more from the office of my father. He is a cold man, never bothering to show affection or love, even when I was younger. He sits behind the large desk, smiling at me with a grimace that makes my skin crawl.

"I am very proud of you, Clara. You have chosen the most intelligent option. The _right _option. You will be a very useful asset to our cause."

"You have my full cooperation, but I hope you know that my membership does not come free."

He smiled, his eyes giving a sick twinkle that I had never seen before. "That's my girl; just like her father. What is it that you ask?"

"First off, I am nothing like you. Secondly, I want to change my hair. I refuse to be connected to who I used to be."

He nodded, "Very well. Is that all?"

"No. Neither you nor anyone else in your organization will not kill Sophie, Ashlynn, or Elizabeth." I glared at him with the most intimidating expression that I could muster, showing how serious I was.

He sighed, rubbing his neck, "I don't know if that one is possible, darling."

"Then, I refuse your offer."

My father licked his lips in contemplation. "Here's the deal. I'll give you one minute to convince me why it would be more beneficial for the company to keep the mutants alive. If your argument is solid enough, then your request will be granted."

"They are of no use to you dead. The people need to see what you have accomplished. They need to see that not only are you capable of apprehending these threats, but of keeping them as well. We need to send a message to the people that they are safe and a message to the mutants that they are not. You will gain the support and faith of the people by keeping them alive."

He listened intently, nodding excitingly. "Your points are valid. Now, I hope you know that such a large price will also come with some sort of cost." He opened one of the desk drawers and retrieved what looked like a high voltage tazer. He slid the device across the desk. Smiling, he said, "Now, it's time to prove just how loyal you truly are."

***!Bridgette'sxPointxOfxView!***

I wipe my mouth as the final wave of nausea finally subsides. The west corner of the cage is absolutely filthy, sending pulses of revulsion that threaten my stomach to turn in circles. With the constant regurgitation and receding humidity level, I will be dead by morning from dehydration.

How could this be happening? We had taken the necessary measures to ensure that this wouldn't happen. There shouldn't have even been a chance.

Why was this happening to me? Me, out of every single woman in the world, I was the least fit. My child would be born in a world of fear and paranoia, constantly afraid of death and capture. I couldn't afford to take care of a kid; I can't even afford to take care of myself. Where would we live? What would we eat? How would we survive? _What if it's not even born at all?_

I curl into a small ball, hugging my soft, pajama covered knees to my chest. For so long, I had acted so strong. Whenever it had felt like the end, I had always managed a smile, always hoping for the best. But these were the worst possible circumstances. There was no hope, no light at the end of the tunnel. There was only doom and darkness.

I began to cry, hiding my face in my knees. I was broken and lost, dooming my child to the same fate.

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**So, it's getting a little darker, but definitely more interesting.**

**Will the boys rescue them? What must Gwen do to prove her loyalty? Will Bridgette live to see the birth of her baby? And what do the Naturals have planned?**

**Review to find out faster!**

**I hope to have the next update out before the end of the month! But don't hold me to it.**

**I love you all! Please review! And Happy Writing!**

**~SarahxTAx**


	18. Betrayal

**What is this? It appears to be a form of literature. Something about girls and supernatural powers.. Oh! Now I remember! This is that one fanfiction, with the incredible and beautiful and patient fans. The one that deserves my undivided attention. Oops.**

**I'm really sorry, guys. I hope the longer chapter sort of cushions the blow. And, there will be no updates for at least five weeks. I got the governor's scholarship and get to spend five weeks at Murray State, without a laptop! The horror! But I will be writing in my journal, so hopefully I will have an update ready by the tine I get back home.**

**Also, in other news, I have officially started using my deviantart account. Of course, I cannot draw, but I have this weird hobby of playing with MS Paint. So I have a bunch of projects dedicated to my fanfictions, this story in particular. So, if you want, check it out! My username is the same.**

**So, again, I am extremely sorry. But, if you still love me, I would love it if you would review with any comments, suggestions, or criticisms. Hope you all have a wonderful summer!**

**Happy Writing!**

**~xTAx**

**X**

***!Gwen'sxPointxOfxView!***

I wiped my wet face with a plush towel, relishing in the unfamiliar comfort. The small bathroom was unnaturally bright. The walls were stark white; the only color coming from the sky blue shower curtains, water droplets still scattered from the past hour I spent trying to scrub myself of the past few weeks. I looked in the small mirror with a vacant expression. My hair had been returned to it's former midnight shade, the teal streaks even more alive and vibrant than I ever remember them being. My cheeks were still red from the shower, but, other than that, my face was practically colorless. The skin around my eyes was paler than usual. My dark eyes were empty, like swirling black holes. My tank top exposed my collarbones; the fabric fitting loosely around my chest. I wasn't sure if I even recognized the person staring back at me, and, even scarier, I wasn't sure if I hated her. I felt as though my limbs were attached to rope, being pulled on either side by a large force. Was this the right decision? The line between good and evil is so blurred now, I'm not even sure it exists.

The concept of good and evil, of right and wrong, is so ludicrous. In the end, it all comes down to perspective. And who is to say my perspective is wrong? Who's to say it was right? When it all comes down to it, the only thing I can do is play my part, and throw the rest to the wind.

I leave the bathroom and enter my new room. It looks exactly like a hotel room: one single, overly cushioned bed, a long wooden desk complete with half a dozen drawers, a tall nightstand topped with a thick television, a closet big enough to fit at least ten people, and a red armchair accompanied by a round glass side table. A small bench lay under a large window drawn by deep red curtains. I walk over carefully, not fully knowing what I wanted to see behind the veil. Were we still in the city, or had we been taking somewhere out in the wilderness? Were we even still in the country?

As I peered behind the curtains, I found myself gasping, though I don't know what I had expected to see. The building was tall; I must be on at least the ninth floor. Below was a four lane highway, cars speeding by in an endless flow. Across the street were a line of buildings: restaurants, stores, and markets. Brilliantly green hills rolled behind the town, extending into the setting sun. People walked the streets below in blissful oblivion. It looked like any normal town I had ever been to.

I notice a shine in the corner of my eye, and look to see the small tazer laying on the glass table. It was watching me, seeming to take up so much space in the room. I knew what I had to do. If I tried not to think about it and close off all my emotions, maybe it would be easier. Maybe. I closed the curtains tightly, again enveloping myself in the darkness.

***!ThexBoy'sxPointxOfxView!***

The path leading to Owen's house was made of worn cobble stone, flanked on each side by a row of blossoming daffodils. The lawn was bright, yet slightly overgrown. The boys walked warily towards the painted white porch. The hanging swing creaked in the gentle wind. The wooden porch was decored with a variety of flowers: cherry carnations sprouting from hanging pots and violet cosmos extending from the long window beds. Various home-sewn pillows and cushions lay upon the lawn chairs and benches. It was a very quaint and charming house, Geoff thought, which made what they were about to do even more bizarre.

Duncan approached the white mahogany door, taking the small golden knocker in his grip. He knocked once, twice, three times. Finally, a plump woman with dark hair came to the door. She wore a floor length, fuchsia floral dress and smiled cheerily. The aroma of baked sweets invaded them from behind her, and it was evident by her stained "kiss the cook" apron that she had been in the process of making a snack. "Well, howdy doo, boys! What can I do you for?"

"Is Owen here? We're friends from school."

"Ah! Yes of course, he's in his room right now."

"We've been worried about him. He hasn't been to school in a few days," Trent added as they crossed the threshold onto the wooden floored living room. The room smelled pleasantly of honey and sugar.

"Owen hasn't been feeling his best, but he should be back in class by Monday."

"We'll just run and check on him, if that's alright?" Duncan asked, examining the various wooden replicas of animals that stood on the mantle piece.

"Yes, of course! Up the stairs, second door on the right."

The boys said their thank yous, declined the adamant offers of hazelnut cookies, and traveled up the carpeted stairs to a short hallway. The door to Owen's room was covered in posters and printouts form various comedy acts and cooking shows. Noah stepped forward, giving the door two knocks. "Owen, it's us. We're coming in." He gave just a second's hesitation before opening the door.

Owen was no where to be seen, but judging by the blasting television and the abandoned bag of Cheetos, he couldn't have gone far.

"Where do you think he is?" Geoff asked.

"Where else could you hide a guy his size?" Duncan jerked his thumb towards the closet, slightly ajar. Trent walked hesitantly towards the closet. He grabbed the small knob carefully and jerked the door open with a smack. Owen sat in the corner of the closet, long coats and suits draped over his large figure. His eyes were wide and his body was shaky. He looked between the boys' faces, wringing his hands in his lap.

"Please don't hurt me. I didn't mean to do anything. It was an accident, honest."

Duncan charged forward, grabbing hold of Owen's shirt collar. He hoisted the boy up and threw him onto the old mattress. He slid back to the wall, curling into himself, throwing his hands in front of his face. "What was an accident, Owen?" Duncan screamed.

"You have to believe me, I wasn't going to tell anyone. She just found out. I think she may have read my journal or something, but I just don't know!"

"Who found out Owen?" Noah asked, stepping closer to the bed. "You need to tell us everything. Izzy's life is at stake."

Owen sobbed, wrapping his blanket around his fists. He glanced down, "It was my sister. But you also have to understand that she meant no harm. She's just a kid, she didn't know better." He sighed, "She somehow found out and got super excited. I didn't know she did it until after the fact."

"What did she do!" Duncan leaned dangerously close to Owen's face.

"She posted it on her blog!" he screamed. "She made it sound like a story, but she used their names. I am so, so sorry." He began crying into his shirt, a loud, hideous sound.

Noah stomped over to the computer in the corner of the room. It was on a wooden table littered with various food wrappings and empty soda cans. "What's the name of your sister's blog?"

"It's not on there anymore, I made her delete it."

"I can still recover it. What's the name?"

"PinkChinchilla99."

Noah began typing away rapidly. Trent came up behind him, leaning against the black roller desk chair. "Do you really think you can recover it?"

Noah tisked disappointingly, "Everything goes somewhere, and I go everywhere. If it's in cyberspace, I'll find it."

"Say you do find it," Geoff added, "what exactly will this help? What can this tell us that we don't already know."

"I'm not interested in what she posted. I'm interested in who saw it."

"You can see that?"

Noah swiveled around and glared at them. "I am a technology god. Nerds and programmers all over the world bow at my superiority, so _please _stop asking me if I 'really can' do something, because the answer will most likely be yes." He swiveled back and continued his decoding. Suddenly the pink, floral web page faded and several sets of numbers appeared. Noah's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

Geoff squinted at the screen and tilted his head. "What is that a code or something?"

"Try I.P addresses. This is every computer that viewed the page."

Owen peered around the bodies from the bed. He watched as Noah scrolled down, revealing dozens of lines of I.P addresses. "Wow, I didn't think she had that many readers."

"Well, apparently, when you ramble about a bunch of teenage girls with magical powers hiding out in a boarding school, it seems to capture an audience." Duncan spat. Owen hung his head.

Noah retrieved his flash drive from his pocket and connected it through Owen's hardrive. Quickly, he copied all the addresses over. "With these, I can track down the locations of all these people. And, after detecting some sort of pattern, I can find the Natural's warehouse."

"Noah, you're a genius."

He grinned, "I've been saying it for years. It's about time someone paid attention."

***!Courtney'sxPointxOfxView!***

I was devastatingly cold. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. The room was covered in ice; the air was thick and heavy. The cage was the only metal in the room, but it was painfully cold to the touch. I silently cursed myself for sleeping in shorts and a tank top. I felt my lips harden and discolor, my breaths coming out as shagged vapors. My muscles ached from the constant spasms. If there was once fire inside of me, I felt no trace of it. This was how I imagined dying would feel.

But it wasn't just the temperature that made me feel cold. It was the complete absence of everything else: trust, happiness, anger, fear, hope. There was no out, no way of escape. Sure, I could cling to the hope that the boys would somehow find out where we were, if they had not already been taken themselves. And even if they did find us, there was no way they would survive, let alone actually _rescue _us. I thought vaguely of Rapunzel, trapped in that tower all her life. She had had hope and optimism that one day she could dig her toes into the grass blades and indulge in the warmth of the sun. Perhaps if I were to have such high aspirations, then _my _prince would come along and whisk me away from this evil place. But the mere thought of such a perspective made me gag. It was unrealistic and childish and a waste of effort.

Suddenly, like a tidal wave, a realization crashed over me. _Gwen_. Her Gwen. The Gwen that she had stayed up with until ungodly hours of the night spilling her heart and soul out to. The Gwen she had laughed with, cried with. The Gwen that she ran away from home with, had to scavenge for food with, find shelter with. They protected each other, loved each other. Never in a million years would she have thought she would turn into such a monster.

The door across the room slowly slid open, casting oblong shadows throughout the room. The small amount of light gave off a very slight temperature difference, which I was quick to relish. A figure stepped forward. I could immediately tell it was a woman.

Gwen stepped closer to the cage, but stopped a good distance away. She wore a dark suit, a white button up lay underneath the buttoned jacket, a bow tie tightly around her neck. He blue streaks were the only color in the entire room. Her face was blank and hard, her eyes dug into me like a lazer. I glared at her with the most intensity I could muster.

"Hello, Courtney. Just chilling around?"

"Go to hell," I growled.

"Owch, that hurt, right here," she put her hand dramatically over her chest, where her heart would be, if she had one.

"It's going to hurt a hell of a lot worse when I get out of here and send a bullet through it."

"You see, though, I don't think that will ever happen. First, the chances of you making it out of here alive are extremely pitiful. Second, I don't believe you could actually kill me. You're too weak."

"It's not weakness that stops people from murdering, Gwen. It's compassion, and conscious, and love. Something that you couldn't even begin to understand."

"Well, maybe I can't understand! After all, do as is done to thee, right? I was never loved, so why should I know how to?"

"We loved you!" I screamed. I felt everything then. All my anger and frustration, all my sadness and hopelessness. It all erupted, and before I knew what was happening it was all expelling from my mouth. "Bridgette.. Izzy.. Me.. we all loved you! We took care of each other! We promised that, no matter what happened, we would always be there for each other. And you betrayed us, for a dad that never even loved you!"

"Shut up!" she shouted, the first real indication of emotion.

"No, because you need to hear this. You had everything you needed. You had friends that would _die _for you. And a boyfriend who would give up his entire would to be with you, or did you decide to just forget about him?"

"I said shut up!" A jolt went through my body. The pain was worse than anything I had ever imagined. It felt as if every nerve in my body was exploding. I longed for the numbness that the ice brought. It lasted at least twenty seconds, but it felt like eternity. And, as suddenly as the pain had come, it ended. My body tingled and shook from the memory of it. I pushed my hair out of my face and looked at her. Laying in her steady hand was a small device. She glared hard at me and grinned. "Now, here's something I do know how to do." And she pushed the button again.


	19. Bravery

**Before I begin this chapter, I have a few announcements that I think you all will be interested in hearing. And, since I know next to no one reads these, I will announce the announcements in list format! So, hopefully it catches your eye!**

**There is only ONE MORE CHAPTER left in this story!**

**The final chapter will be A SUPER CHAPTER full of EPIC PROPORTIONS!**

**A SEQUEL is already IN THE WORKS!**

**I am currently searching for a BETA READER for the final chapter and the sequel. So, if you would be interested in beta-ing for me, please send me a link to your beta profile and, if you wouldn't care, a brief description as to why YOU would want to beta read for this story!**

**Thanks so much! You all are the best!**

**So, this chapter is more of a build-up for things to come, but I hope you enjoy it regardless! Reviews are encouraging! Hope you all are having a great year!**

**Happy Writing!**

**-xTAx**

The trees rushed by in a clouded blur; the sky overhead was clouded and dark, severely limiting his vision. He ran as fast as his short legs could carry him. His feet were bare and scarred, and he did not doubt that he was leaving a blood trail for them to follow. All these thoughts were vacant from his mind, however, as all he could think was that he needed to run; it was the only way to survive. He wasn't sure what they wanted, but he knew it had to be connected to all the weird things that had been happening with him lately. But why now? Why him?

Something clasped around his ankle, and the next thing he knew, he was suspended upside down. He fought and he squirmed trying to reach for the rope, but it was no use. His body was worn and bruised, his muscles vibrating under his dark skin. The blood quickly rushed to his head, making the trees around him meld into a smear of greens. Part of him believed that this was just one of the poachers' traps. He hoped that at any moment a camouflaged man with a straw hat would come out from behind a bush, apologize for the mishap, and send him on his merry, life-endangering way. But as his stomach turned and his leg began to go numb, he knew this was merely false hope. This is what impending doom must feel like, he thought.

Suddenly, he felt a pain, a pain he had never felt before. It felt as if a thousand tiny needles were trying to force themselves out from underneath his skin. He cried out in pain, hoping that perhaps the needles would escaped through his agape mouth and leave his skin in one piece. Then, as suddenly as it had came, the pain stopped, and his coiled body fell limp.

A group of people appeared from behind the brush. There were four men and a young woman, each dressed in the same dark suit and tie that one might wear to a funeral. A gentleman with dark hair and a shaved face lead the pack with a terrifying grin on his face. Behind him was a young girl with unusual colored hair. She was very tiny, but he could tell by the way she carried herself that she was well older than he would have guessed. Her face was extremely pale, but not intentionally. Her mouth was agape and her eyes were wide and watery. Two muscle men stood at her side. Whether they were protecting her or imprisoning her, he could not tell from his perspective; he had lost his sense of detail along with his balance.

The dark haired man came dangerously close to his face, so close that he could smell the bitterness of his breath. "Nikoh Bello, age twelve. He was born in a small village in Kenya. His mother died while giving birth to his younger sister Lea, forcing him to raise her and his three other siblings alone. He narrowly escaped recruitment into the militia by fleeing to Tanzania." The man recited his life as if he memorized it from a text book.

"How do you know of me you-"

Much to his surprise, the man slapped him. "You shall not speak, you abomination." The man turned towards his companions, making a wide gesture towards Nikoh. "This, my people, is what sin looks like. He is a savage: a black mark on society. So, how is it that he possesses inhuman capabilities? God would not have chosen someone like him to receive such a gift. He has taken this power through some sort of dark magic, and he must be punished."

"What are you talking about? I have no such powers."

"I said quiet, boy!"

"Was there a meteor?" the young girl asked. Nikoh made eye contact with her. He could read her like an open book. Her soul was troubled and hurt. Her aura looked like a kindergartener had taken every color from the paint drawer and mixed them together in an unintelligible mess. He could feel her extreme sorrow and anger and resentment, but, underneath that, he could feel her passion and kindness and love. Most overwhelming of all, however, was her extreme confliction.

He was so enthralled by reading her that he forgot about the question. "A meteor did crash near my campsite a few months ago."

"See? It was just a mistake, like mine. He didn't ask for these powers intentionally."

"The boy lies!" The man retrieved a pistol from his waistband and held the cool metal against Nikoh's forehead.

"No! This isn't necessary! He's innocent, just let him go."

The man's cold, dark eyes glared into the boy's darker ones. His aura was all black. His essence was filled with arrogance and indignation. Though there was evil within him, it did not consume him, for he did not believe anything he was doing was considered sinful. He was devout, which is the most dangerous thing a man with a gun can be. "'The wages of sin is death.'"

"Daddy, no! Please!"

That was the last thing Nikoh heard before his world went black.

***!Bridgette'sxPointxOfxView!* **

My lungs ached as I attempted a shaggy breath. It has been two days since they had given me any fluids. I resisted them at first, but now I yearned for the cool sensation of the nutrients running through my bloodstream. I knew they wanted us dead, but this was just cruel. Why would they want to keep us alive anyway? What use were we, especially in this condition?

I lied on my back; my shoulders relaxed against the cool surface. The fluorescent light above me began to flicker, as if lying in a cage wasn't agonizing enough. The surrounding walls were beginning to feel like a strange home to me. Though I feel no safety in this place, I did feel familiarity, which is practically the only thing you can hope to hold on to when there's nothing left.

Instinctively, I traced my fingers across my stomach, _Well, not yet. _

Tears clung to my lashes at the thought of bringing a child into this world: a world where others are persecuted for their differences, for possessing something which they did not intend to obtain. How could I possibly hope to care for another's life, when I wasn't even sure how to care for my own?

Suddenly, the door is flung open and two men in long coats march into the room. My eyes burned from the sudden light, making it difficult to distinguish any defying characteristics of the two. They closed the distance between us; their faces hidden in shadows. "You need to come with us, Mrs. Meade."

"Come with you where?" I question as I slide myself to the farthest corner of the cage.

"When we feel there is information that you are privileged to, then it will be exposed to you. Until then, you will do as we say."

I bit my lip, knowing that I was completely helpless to their demands. I couldn't face them physically, and, judging by their medical attire, I assumed they weren't all that dull, either. Unless...

"I want to see them." I spit out before I fully indulged the thought.

The man blinked, taken aback by the suddenness of the demand. "I beg your pardon?"

"The girls: Gwen, Courtney, Izzy. I want to see them. Right now."

"I'm afraid that is not possible."

"Why's that? Are they all dead?"

"I'm afraid that is on a need to know basis."

"Please, sir." I crawled across the length of the cage, my bony knees skidding across the cool metal. I wrapped my hands around the slender bars, leaning forward. My face was inches from his, and I could hear his breath catch in his throat. He smelled of rubbing alcohol and the cheap soap in motel bathrooms. I leaned as close to him as my confinement would allow. "I have been in this cage all alone, with little nourishment, and no communication. My friends are my everything, and I'm not even allowed to know if they're alive or not? Please, I would do anything. Just let me see my friends."

The man swallowed hard, "I'm sorry, I can't do that."

"Just one of them. Take me to one of them. That's all I ask. Then you'll have my full cooperation."

The man stared at her, as if he might actually consider the idea. "John, what are you doing?" The other man shouted.

The man shook his head, snapping out of his temporary trance. "If you refuse to comply with your transportation, then we shall use force."

My plan, as ridiculous as it had been, had failed. I felt my body relax as the last bit of fight I had been holding on to suddenly evaporated. I stepped back from the bars, raising myself onto my knees. They could take me wherever they wish, do whatever they willed. What was I to do about it?

That's when I saw it: a gleam at the man I now knew as John's hip. He leaned his torso inside the now open door of the cage and extended his arm towards me. I hesitated in taking his hand, slipping my slim fingers into his sweaty calluses. Once I had a firm grip, I jerked with all the might I could muster. The man was caught off guard and lost balance. As he fell forward, I took quick advantage of both of the men's astonishment to grab the weapon tucked into John's waist band. I pressed the barrel firmly against my temple.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" John asked as he straightened himself.

"You all want me alive, right? If you didn't, I figure we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. And if I'm still here, then the others have to be too. And since I'm useless to you all dead, then I guess I'm in the position to be making demands. I want to see them. Now."

"You wouldn't shoot yourself," the second man exclaimed. "Not while you're bearing a child."

I cocked the gun and returned the tip of the barrel to my temple. "Try me."

***!ThexBoy'sxPointxOfxView!* **

Noah sat in the nearly vacant library, surrounded by piles of books he should be reading. Instead, he stared aimlessly at various codes on his laptop. IP addresses, thousands of them, haunted him. He couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, not with them being so close to finding them. He punched in a few numbers and wrote down the physical address that appeared. His red spiral notebook was nearly half filled with addresses, and even they didn't put a dent in the total. Noah rubbed his bloodshot eyes and gulped another mouthful of coffee, his hands shaking with the large amount of caffeine he had consumed.

He looked over the addresses he had already written. These people had been watching them for some time, so their operation had to be within a hundred mile radius, which should narrow the list down a bit. Next, he would have to dig into the satellite feed in order to view the locations. All residences, ideally, should be eliminated. In his mind, he envisioned them to be captured in an abandoned prison or some sort of old factory, somewhere with a lot of space and minimal exposure. He held out hope that one of the few addressed he had already found would be the one. Time was not a luxury that he could indugle.

"Noah?" Alarmed, he jerked upright to see a blonde girl standing over him. She looked young, maybe a Sophomore. She held her books tightly to her chest and looked skiddish of approaching him.

"Can I help you?" He asked curiously. The only person to have talked to him, other than the guys, was... well, no one.

"I'm sorry, I know you don't know me. But, I was told to give you this." She reached forward a thick manilla envelope. Across the front was his name, written in a neat cursive.

He eyed the package curiously. "Where did you get this?"

"I'm sorry, I was told not to say anymore. Have a good day!" She rushed the words nervously before turning on her heels and running for the door, her high pony tail bouncing feverishly.

Noah starred after her with a quizzical expression. He held the package in his hands carefully, applying light pressure to attempt to determine its contents. It felt thick, like a stack of documents.

Quickly, he ripped the packaging. Inside was several sheets of dark blue paper. White lines decorated the paper in what appeared to be an incoherent pattern. He stared intently at the designs, turning the page every which way. It was only when he laid each sheet on the long desk before him that he could distinguish their meaning.

It was a blueprint.

***!Bridgette'sxPointxOfxView!***

I walked down the hallway, free of any restraints or guardians. The two men walked in step a few feet ahead, neither so much as said a word. The gun was still pressed forcefully against my skull. Whenever we passed anyone in the narrow hallway, the men would give them warning glances, and they would do no more than look at me in terror. I had to admit, holding this much power felt amazing. I couldn't remember the last time I felt so in control of my own destiny.

But one thing nagged at my subconscious: did I mean it? Was I really willing to pull the trigger, end mine and my child's life, for a cause that I was uncertain of? I would like to think I did mean it. The thought of raising my child in a cell was horrifying. More disturbing, still, was the thought of not raising it at all.

Before I could contemplate anymore, we had arrived. I wasn't sure who was behind the door, but I knew it had to be one of them. I longed to see their faces, to hear their voices. So long without actual _human _interaction had left me hungry for any sort of encounter.

The large door opened to a room made entirely of shined metal. The floor was cool to the touch; I raised on my toes instinctively. I saw the cage, rather similar to my own, encompass a majority of the space in the room. Sitting on her heals in the center of the cage was Izzy. If I hadn't known she would be in here, I probably would not have recognized her. She hugged her knees protectively and looked small enough to be a child. Her hair was short and looked like it was once straightened. Now, it was wild and poked out in all directions, as if she tried to rip it from her scalp. Her eyes were large and bloodshot, yet remained strikingly green, the only remarkable color in the room. Upon my entrance, she crawled toward the metal bars, squishing her cheeks against the metal. "Bridgette? You're alive!"

I was so overwhelmed with emotion. Happiness, relief, sadness, it all invaded me like a tsunami. I lowered the gun and rushed forward. I leaned as close to the cage as I could, intertwining my fingers with hers. "It's me Iz. I'm here," I cooed. "Are you alright?"

She grinned, but it wasn't her usual smile. It was strained and broken. "I'm still alive, aren't I?"

I laughed, the tears falling freely down my face. "Yes. Yes, you are."

"Have you heard anything from the others? Are they okay? Has anything happened?"

"I have no idea, this is my first time out of my cell." A sharp pain went through my abdomen. I knelt over trying to subdue the agony.

"Bridge? Are you okay?"

"Izzy, there's something I need to tell you." As if on que, another wave of pain washed over me. I gritted my teeth, praying for it to subside. After a moment, the pain dulled to a slight burn. "I'm pregnant."

I had never seen an expression like that on Izzy's face. Always so full of life and excitement, Izzy rarely let any negative energy escape her. Her face was blank, but her eyes told so much. Pain, sympathy, and sickness screamed from them. "Bridgette..." she whispered as if recalling a long forgotten memory.

I opened my mouth to try and ease her worry, but I was suddenly engulfed in darkness.

"What's going on!? Where are you taking her!?"

I screamed as they slung me from the ground and dragged me through the room and into the hall beyond. I could feel the cold tile scrape against my toes. The bright fluorescents shone through the bag, sending a sharp pain behind my eyes. I could still hear Izzy's anguished cries as we progressed further into the unknown. Neither men spoke a word, but their breathing was heavy as they rushed at an abnormally fast pace. After a few moments, I felt the breeze of an open door and, suddenly, I was thrusted onto a long chair, similar to that in a dentist's office.

"Hello, Bridgette. My name is Doctor Himel. Please, try to remain still." As he was talking, I felt the weight of restraints being tied around my limbs. The bag still covered my face, but the material was thin. I could make out fragments of shadows move throughout the room. My heart was beating so loud I was sure it was making the room vibrate.

The next thing I felt was a heavy pressure as something was injected into my abdomen.


End file.
